


Stranded by Snow

by quietlycharmed



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Prompt is from Nedcat week but I'm very late, Sharing a Bed, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2019-09-06 23:48:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16842892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietlycharmed/pseuds/quietlycharmed
Summary: When a severe blizzard blasts through the North, grounding all flights and threatening to close the major highways, Catelyn is stranded in White Harbor International Airport with no hope of getting home to Riverrun before the storm. In an effort to rescue her from staying alone at a major airport, her father arranges for her to stay with a business associate foster’s son. However, she soon discovers her rescuer is her ex-boyfriend’s younger brother. Suddenly, spending a week in an airport might be the less awkward solution to her problem.





	1. Stranded and Benched

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fan fiction (that I'm willing to post online). I started writing it for Nedcat week 2018 back in November, but I wasn't able to post it due to real life. I came up with a couple more ideas as I was writing it, so I expanded it to be a much longer story. (I'm going to try to update as quickly as I can.) I edited this chapter on my own, so I probably missed a couple (or more) of grammar mistakes. (And please keep in mind that the prompts for Nedcat week never said it had to be good writing!)
> 
> Quick Warning: This is a Ned and Catelyn focused story, but they are mainly apart for the first chapter and there will be mentions of past relationships (especially for Catelyn) throughout the story. There will be more characters featured than mentioned in the character tags, but their appearances will be brief and only in the first two chapters. I'm still trying to find the right Ned and Cat voices, so don't be afraid to say if something isn't right. (Also, I haven't been on an airplane since I was 15, so everything surrounding the airport is completely based off Internet research and we know the Internet is always right!) I hope you enjoy!

Catelyn hated airports. She had always hated them because of her intense fear of flying. She preferred keeping her feet on the ground or sailing on a boat with open air. Airplanes meant being crammed into a small space, breathing recycled air with no way out and no control on what could happen next. She hated the idea of being trapped, but she was quickly discovering that there were worse things that could happen at an airport than boarding an airplane. She was discovering the horrors of being stranded at the third largest airport in the country.

Catelyn Tully was visiting White Harbor to attend the 5th annual Children’s Advocacy Conference. She had worked as a family advocate for the last two years while she worked on her Masters degree in social work. She had submitted a paper as part of the expectations of her program, but she never imagined that she would be invited to be a speaker at a major national conference. She almost considered turning down the opportunity because she would have to fly to White Harbor and she could never realistically afford the travel expenses. However, once her father found out about the conference, he paid for everything, even drove her to the airport. He didn’t take no for answer, because he know how much of an honor it was to be chosen as a speaker and how badly she wanted to go.

The conference had been a wonderful experience and Catelyn had managed to get through her speech and panel without any trouble. She was surprised at how easy public speaking came to her. A part of her did not want to leave White Harbor. The North had been far more amazing than she expected and the revolutionary work they were doing in child advocacy made it harder to leave. She wanted to be part of it, but she needed to get home to Riverrun.

Catelyn arrived three hours before her flight was scheduled to depart. She managed to get checked in and through security in less than two hours. She considered that a small victory. Her flight, United Seven Kingdoms Flight A2247 was still schedule to depart on time and departing from Gate D42. It was a long walk from the main security checkpoint. She decided walk to concourse D since she had an hour wait before her flight.

Catelyn arrived at her gate with over a half an hour to spare. She found a seat, behind an old couple, overlooking the gates and the runway. She could watch the airplanes and newly falling snow. Catelyn had not seen snow in over two years. It was beautiful. She hoped the snow falling would last until she boarded the plane. However, two of her fellow passengers, sitting behind her, did not share her wishes.

“Oh heck, they cancelled another flight. That’s the third one,” said an older gentleman sitting next to a woman, Catelyn assumed to be his wife.

“It will be alright, darling,” said the woman. She spoke softly in a kind, gentle voice that one might have used to comfort a small scared child.

“They have cancelled ten flights since we got here and this is the third one in the last twenty minutes! They are going to cancel our flight. Just you wait! We’re not going to leave for home today.”

“We don’t know that yet. The storm could be heading in a completely different direction. Be patient.”

“No, they need to make a decision sooner rather than later. We need to make arrangements if we can’t get back home to the kids. I should go up there . . ..”

“No, you don’t need to go up there! They are trying to do their job and if they decide to cancel the flight, they will announce it right after the decision is made!”

“They probably already know that it is cancelled.”

“Why would they wait to announce it?”

“Money,” the man grunted.

“Money? Money?” The woman sounded incredulous as her voice lost all gentleness. She was clearly running out of patience with her husband. “The tickets have already been bought! There’s no money in cancelling flights!”

“Humph. I’m going to call the hotel. Maybe they can get our room back!”

“Jed! You are not going to call the hotel!”

“I’m calling! I’m going to go right over there and call them.”

Catelyn heard the man get up and walk away. His wife did not go after him. She stayed seated and sighed. Catelyn shook her head at the exchange-an old married couple. She smiled sadly as she felt a tug on her heart. Three months ago, the man she thought she was going to marry called off their relationship. They had been together on and off for nearly three years and Catelyn had been dreaming of their wedding for two of those years. However, in the end, he realized he didn’t want the same things as her or perhaps, more accurately, there was someone else. Catelyn’s friends told her that it was probably for the best. They said: she _“should be with someone who respected her ambitions;_ ” she _“needed a man who wasn’t threaten by her strength or success;”_ she _“deserved to be with a guy who thinks of her first always.”_ Catelyn had heard anything and everything from her friends, but nothing they said felt true to her. While her heart seemed to be mending slowly, she often wondered if she would ever be able to get pass their breakup, especially, when she was left to face certain aspects of her line of work.

As much as Catelyn loved her work, there were days it was excruciating to deal with the horrors of child abuse. She didn’t know whether she should be grateful or sadden that she still was shocked by the cases she handled or learned about. On one side, she wasn’t desensitized to her line of duty and didn’t normalize what she saw, but on the other side, she was discovering how creative cruelty could become. It was difficult and the conference had reviewed some of the toughest, most disturbing, and tragic child abuse cases and scandals. She knew going into this conference (and profession) there would be cases that would upset and shake her, but she had not anticipated learning about how many cases and children suffer from the gross mismanagement of their cases or how many individuals in the position to help abusive victims were never even trained on how to handle the situation or signs.

It was days like these last few days that Catelyn wished she had someone to come home to. She could just curl up with him and pretend the world wasn’t a horrible place. She wanted to be comforted by someone who understood how terrible the world could be, but still had hope and believed in a happy ending. Catelyn had hoped she had found that person, but the hard truth she had yet to fully face was: it wasn’t Jason.

Catelyn was tempted to look behind her at the couple, but she decided the best action for her to do would be to try to distract herself. She pulled out her book, an old classic, and tried to lose herself. She had not been reading her book for long when an announcement came on overhear.

“Good morning, United Seven Kingdoms Flight A2247 passengers due to worsening weather conditions Flight A2247 has been cancelled. We apologize for this inconvenience. Once again, United Seven Kingdoms Flight A2247 has been cancelled. Thank you.”

“Like I told you! I knew it! I knew it! They cancelled! Aren’t you glad I called the hotel and got our room back? Admit it!”

Catelyn looked up stunned as passengers groaned and immediately rushed towards the gate agent who had just made the announcement. Catelyn pitied him. There were several angry passengers yelling at him already. Catelyn was not sure what to do. She had no idea where to even begin to figure out what happens next.

After an hour of waiting in line, speaking to multiple airline representatives, checking with other airlines, and calling hotels, Catelyn only had a couple of airport food vouchers, an airline weather wavier, and headache to show for it. The minor snowstorm had turned into a massive winter blizzard. The televisions in the airport were reporting something about a polar vortex. Catelyn wasn’t sure what that meant or why everything was being cancelled, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good and almost every flight was being cancelled. The airline had been kind enough to give her some food vouchers and weather wavier to get another flight after the storm. A different airline representation simply pointed her in the direction towards the airport cots for the stranded travelers when she asked about any of their flights. 

While being stranded at the airport was an absolute nightmare for Catelyn, her father was having a massive melt down over it. He was shouting at her over the phone. “What do you mean you can’t get a flight home tonight?!”

Catelyn sighed and rubbed her head, as her headache was steadily getting worse. She desperately needed some caffeine. She took a deep breath before responding to her father. “All flights are cancelled. The storm has already hit Hornwood and it’s moving South. It’s supposed to be here in just a few hours and it’s already snowing outside. I don’t know, it’s the North and I thought they knew how to handle snow, but everyone seems freaked by this storm and the snow is coming down fast. I’ve never seen this much snow before. Even if I was old enough to rent a car, I don’t think I could drive in this. I’ve never driven in snow before and all the hotels close enough to walk to are full already. ”

“Damn. The news is saying that looks like this arctic blast could last a couple of days. They’re expecting at least seven feet of snow. Damn, Damn, Damn. Is there any way you could get to a hotel? I could get you a room and I’ll pay for the room service so you can eat. You can’t stay at the airport, Cat. Let me get to my computer, hold on.”

She could hear her father moving on the other end. She shook her head. He wasn’t listening to her. “Dad, all the nearby hotels are full and I don’t know if I could get a cab in time to get to another hotel before the worst of the storm hits. I’ll be fine. I’ll figure it out.”

“Damn, all the hotels are booked.”

Catelyn rolled her eyes. She was exhausted from the conference, dealing with the airlines, and coming storm. The last thing she wanted to do was console her father when she was terrified of spending a couple of days alone at a major airport. “Yeah, Dad. All the hotels are booked, but they are setting up cots for everyone stuck here.” Catelyn shuttered at the thought of sleeping on some random cot in the middle of the third largest airports surrounded by angry stranded strangers (especially, after she had just spent a weekend listening some of the worst crimes committed by human beings). “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry, Dad.” Catelyn hoped she was able to keep the fear out of her voice.

“Hold on, Cat. Let me make some phone calls. Just gather all your things and go to the domestic North terminal. You know, the baggage claim on the North-side? Understand?

“Daddy . . .”

“Cat, go. I’ll call you in twenty minutes. Understood? I’m going to get you safe.”

“Daddy . . .” Catelyn hesitated before giving in, “yes, sir.”

Before Catelyn could say anything else, her father hung up the phone. She wasn’t sure what her father was planning, but Hoster Tully was determined and there was no standing between him and pride. She didn’t know if there was anything he could do help her. Catelyn hesitated to leave for the North terminal. If she left the gate, she might not be able to get back in or miss her chance at getting one of the cots. She could easily make the situation worse by leaving the gate. She sighed and despite her fears, she listened to her father, as she always did, and gathered her belongings to start walking towards the North terminal.

Exactly twenty minutes later, her phone rang. It was her father. Despite having walked the entire twenty minutes, she was nowhere near the North terminal. Catelyn quickly pulled her phone out of her bag and answered. “Hi, Dad.”

“Cat! Good news, I made some calls and I found a place for you to stay during the storm!”

“What? How did you do that? I don’t know what to say.” Catelyn was startled by her father’s news. How did he manage to find a solution in twenty minutes when she only managed free food and a chance at a cot in an hour?

“Just get to the North Terminal. You need to move quickly, Little Cat. He’s going to be there about thirty minutes to pick you up. The storm is getting bad and the roads aren’t going to be safe or drivable much longer.”

“Okay, but who is picking me up? Where am I going? What hotel?” Catelyn asked as she picked up her pace to get to the terminal. Relief washed over her. _No creepy airport cot, no angry stranded passengers, or bad airport food_ , she thought. 

“I called in a favor with Jon Arryn. I remembered he mentioned that one of his boys lived in White Harbor as a cop. I couldn’t remember which, but anyway, I called Jon and he gave me his number to see if he could help. He said that he had an extra room in his apartment and he could be at the airport to pick up in thirty minutes.”

Catelyn froze. She was lost. “Jon Arryn’s boy?” Her father seemed to missing a pertinent detail about her rescuer.

“Yeah, he’ll meet you at the North Terminal. How far are you, Cat? You need to be quick, because the roads aren’t going to drivable much longer and he is going to be waiting soon.”

Catelyn couldn’t move. Her father and Jon had been friends longer than she had been alive. Her uncle, Brynden, had started working for Jon about five years ago. He was good a man, but Jon was completely blind when it came to his boys. Robert Baratheon was one of Jon Arryn’s foster sons and he was a notorious womanizer. While Catelyn was fairly certain that Robert was harmless and wouldn’t try anything, it didn’t mean Catelyn was comfortable staying with him.

“Daddy, I’m not sure staying with Robert is such a good idea.” Catelyn said, trying to pick her words carefully. Catelyn didn’t want to be disrespectful or ungrateful for her father efforts to find her a place, but she didn’t want to stay with Robert.

“What?! Robert? No! You think I would be comfortable allowing you to stay with him?! Jon might be stupid about that boy, but I know his reputation. Hell, everyone knows his reputation. Well, except for Jon. No! It’s the other one. The smart one! Are you at the North Terminal yet?”

“No, I’m moving as quickly as I can.” Catelyn started walking as fast as she could without breaking into a run. She was relieved. It wasn’t Robert. It had to be Elbert Arryn, Jon’s nephew. _I didn’t know he lived in White Harbor_ , she thought. He was a good friend of one of her ex-boyfriends, Brandon Stark, but a good guy. He was the only of their mutual friends who still talked to her after she broke up with Brandon. If she had known he lived in White Harbor, she would have tried to meet up with him for dinner or something during the conference. She had no idea know why she thought he lived in King’s Landing with his partner. Yet, it was still a comfort knowing Elbert was coming to her rescue. Her father resumed talking on the phone.

“I spoke with him on the phone and he said it wouldn’t be any trouble for him to come get you and for you to stay with him. He’s has a guest room. Normally, I wouldn’t be comfortable with you staying alone with a man, but it’s better than you staying alone at the airport, especially, one as massive as White Harbor International. Plus, it’s Jon’s boy. The good one! Thank the gods! It’s not the ideal solution, but at least you will have somewhere warm and safe to go for the storm. He just got promoted to detective last month.”

“Wait . . . Elbert isn’t a detective. He works in computers . . ..”

“Oh, hold on, Cat. It’s your uncle on the other line. He’s been worried sick about you.”

“Wait, Dad. What is his name again . . .?”

Hoster hung up before he answered Catelyn’s question. Catelyn cursed her father’s inability to use call waiting (and apparently a proper antecedent). Now, Catelyn was completely confused on who was picking her up. Who was picking her up? She knew that Jon had been a foster parent for years, but she only really knew Elbert and Robert as “Jon’s boys.” _Maybe it was Stannis, Robert’s younger brother._ He was a cop, but she didn’t know if Jon had adopted him too. She always thought the Baratheon brothers had been split up after their parents died. Robert at sixteen had been too young to take custody of his younger brother but he had been too old for the group home his brothers went to and most other placements. Most people didn’t want to foster a problematic sixteen year old, but Jon had stepped in. Maybe Robert had convinced Jon to take all three boys in. She didn’t know the situation that well. Catelyn sighed and continued to follow her father’s orders, uncertain of who to expect and how long it would take to her to get there.

The snow was falling harder by the times she reached the North checkpoint. Catelyn was nervous to cross over and enter the terminal. There was no going back. She still didn’t know who was coming to get her. Her father had called once more while she was walking to the terminal, but he only called to quickly update her on the storm. Apparently, it was going to hit Riverrun too. He needed to go pick up Edmure from school and get Lysa and Petyr from work. He asked for her to call him once she was safe. He added at the end of the call that Brynden was running a background check on the mystery rescuer.

 _Great_ , Catelyn thought, _that’s comforting. He’s a cop, of course, he can pass a background check! What about his stupid name? How about telling me that? How is he even going to recognize me?_

Catelyn stood, looking out into the terminal. All she could see was a swarm of people in the domestic terminal. She wasn’t even sure if she could move through them well enough to get to the doors. Where was she suppose to go to find this guy? She wondered if he was going to have one of those signs like they have in the movies with her last name written on it. Did people even do that in real life? _He’s suppose to pick me up on the North side of the terminal; he’ll probably drive though the pick up line._ Catelyn reasoned. Catelyn took a deep breath and set off to navigate her way through the terminal.

Catelyn arrived at the atrium of the terminal. She could tell the pickup line outside on both sides of the terminal were messes. She highly doubted anyone would get through it anytime soon. She didn’t want to wait outside. She found a place to stand near one of the baggage claim carousels. It was a across from the curb pickup’s doors and she could see well enough out them. The doors were constantly opening and closing since most people were waiting inside instead of going outside, which only made the car lines slower outside. Catelyn could feel the cold sinking into the terminal. It was unlike any cold she had ever experienced. It has bitter and harsh and seeped into her bones. She had worn her warmest jacket, but it provided as much warmth as strapless tank top would. She shivered. Catelyn wanted to go home.

Catelyn waited for the mystery rescuer, trying hard not to think about how cold she was or how much she was shaking. _How am I going to handle going outside when it’s this cold standing twenty feet from the door?_ Her phone buzzed. It was a text from her uncle. It only contained two words: Clean Record. “Great.” Catelyn said to herself, shaking uncontrollably from cold. “He’s a unknown serial killer.”

“I’m not a serial killer, Ms. Tully,” said a quiet voice from behind her, “I’ve met a couple.”

Catelyn spun around to see whom the voice belong to. Her mouth dropped open. It was her ex-boyfriend’s younger brother. He was standing a few feet away from her, holding a travel mug and a parka.

“You’re one of Jon’s boys? You’re picking me up?”

“Yes, Ms. Tully. I’m here to help you and we should get going. The storm is coming.”

* * *

“STARK!”

“Yes, sir.”

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I thought I could get some paperwork done, sir.”

“Go home, Stark. We can manage.” Lieutenant Martyn Cassel said as he walked towards Ned Stark’s desk in the Detective Bureau of the White Harbor Police Department. 

Eddard shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was supposed to be home resting; Ned had been placed under medical leave for two weeks after sustaining a concussion on the job. It had been his fault for the injury. He had made a rookie mistake on a call and now, he was determined more than ever to prove that he belonged here.

“Lieutenant, I’ve been cleared and I spoke with the captain. He said it would be alright if I returned to desk duty. I can be of use, sir.” Ned said as he attempted to hand Martyn his return to work documents, but Martyn waved them away.

“I don’t care if Mayor Manderly personally gave you permission resume your entire caseload. I didn’t clear you and you are not going to so much refill paper in the copies until I say so. Got it? I didn’t clear you to be back! Now, go home! William! Take the kid home.” Martyn said as he motioned for Detective William Dustin to come over.

“Yes, sir, but with all due respect, I’m alright and I liked to get back to work. It’s been three days. I rested. I did everything the doctor said to and I’m good now . . . sir.” Ned argued, trying to remain as respectful as he could. He had never argued with a superior before, but he had never made such a stupid mistake before.

Martyn sighed and sat down in the chair next to Ned’s desk. He leaned forward and took the pen out of Ned’s hand before he spoke. “Listen, kid, what happened last week wasn’t your fault. It could have happened to anyone, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors with the tough guy act. You’re no good to me if you don’t take care of yourself. Got it? Take the full two weeks. Show me you can do what’s best for your health.”

Eddard looked away from Martyn, ashamed at his behavior. He hated disappointing him. He had known Martyn and his family all his life. Ned was good friends with Martyn’s son, Jory. He also knew Martyn’s brother, Rodrick. Rodrick worked for his father as a head of his security. Ned didn’t want anyone believing he had been promoted because of his relationship with the Cassels or because of his father. 

“This isn’t personal. Look, I know you want to show everyone here you can do the job, but you are here because you earned it. Look at me.” Ned turned his head back to face Martyn, before Martyn continued. “You took a nasty blow to the head and you still managed to cover Mark and get the arrest. Yeah, you could have done things differently, but injuries are going to happen. You are going to make mistakes. Learn from them. Don’t make them again. And admit it when you aren’t in any condition to do the job.”

“I’m fine.” Ned interrupted.

“Yeah? Huh, so that’s intentional to your usual chicken-scratch looks like shit.”

“Sir?”

“Your handwriting,” Martyn said, pointing to the paper on his desk. “Plus, you spelled your name wrong, son.”

“I didn’t.”

“Eddard has three d’s, not four.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Ned ran his hand through his hair. His head was beginning to throb again. Martyn was right. He wasn’t ready to be back and he wasn’t helping anyone by pushing it.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

“Now, I know something is seriously wrong with you. That was too easy for your stubborn ass!” Martyn laughed.

Ned tried smiling, but he was suddenly feeling extremely tired. He simply nodded his head, immediately regretting the movement as the world slipped out of focus and starting spinning. He felt Martyn’s hand on the side of his head attempting to steady him as felt another pair of hands gripped his shoulders to keep in his chair. Ned hadn’t even realized he was about to fall out of his chair. He waited until the world stopped moving and pounding in his head to decrease.

After a minute or so, the dizzy spell passed, leaving him exhausted and sweaty. He was too tired to feel any embarrassment as Martyn and William hovered over him. Ned didn’t know how he got onto the floor. Ned tried to say something to them, but he couldn’t get the words out. William seemed to understand and rolled him over to his side for him to vomit.

Two weeks after Eddard Stark collapsed at the station, he was finally beginning to feel like himself again. However, he still was not cleared to resume his duties. Martyn had been pushing for the department to have stricter rules and protocol for concussions. Apparently, the incident at the station had prompted the department to take Martyn seriously. Ned had a feeling his father might have made some calls that also impacted the Captain’s decision to keep him benched.

Ned didn’t remember anything about the incident after he vomited on the station floor. (He wished he didn’t remember that part.) He had been taken to the hospital after he loss consciousness. The doctors had been concerned about him having a blood clot, but all the scans came back negative. They insisted on keeping him in the hospital overnight for observation. His mother, Lyarra Flint, drove in from Winterfell, once she learned about him being admitted to the White Harbor General Hospital. While he hated worrying her, he was relieved to see her.

After Ned was cleared to leave the hospital, his mother decided to stay to help him. She was surprised to see how long he had managed on his own (if someone could consider what he had been doing as managing it).For the first time in his adult life, Ned couldn’t really take care of himself. Ned had always been closer to his mother, especially after his parents’ divorce and his time in the Vale. Ned wondered if his mother had been the one to tell his father about his injury despite not having spoken to him in two years. Ned rarely spoke to his father outside the holidays, but he knew his father kept tabs on him.

Lyarra stayed with him for the first week when he was still experiencing the worst of the concussion symptoms. He spent most of the week resting and sleeping. Ned couldn’t handle any light most days. Slowly, he started getting better. Eventually, his mother had to return to work, so she arranged for his friends, Jory Cassel, William Dustin, and Mark Ryswell, to stay with him. They each took shifts, staying with him. He was rarely left alone in his apartment during that second week. He didn’t know whether he should be relieved or annoyed.

Ned did his best to ease back into some of his routines (under supervision, much to his chagrin). Under Jory's supervision, Ned had driven to the store nearby a few days ago to purchase groceries without any trouble. The trip left him fatigued as if he had ran the three miles to the store as opposed to driven it, but overall, he was on the mend. He hoped to be back at work the following week or at least be back part time. He had received multiple lectures about pushing himself too hard or being too stubborn. However, he was finally recovered enough his friends were comfortable leaving him alone during the day and he was enjoying the quiet and solitude.

For his first morning of freedom, Eddard decided to try doing as many little chores as he could. Ned spent the morning cleaning his apartment and starting his laundry. His apartment had not been too messy, but it felt good to get organized and everything back how he liked it. He enjoyed being able to do some of the simple tasks he had been unable the last couple weeks. Ned had finished changing the sheets on the bed in the guest room when his phone rang. It was Mark.

"Hello, Stark."

"Hey! It's Mark, how you are holding up?"

"Good. Ready to get back to the work. I'm going mad just sitting around my apartment. I decided clean everything."

"You'll be back before you know it. Just don't overdo it."

"I won't. Are you coming by tonight or is it Jory’s turn?"

"That's what I'm calling about. I don't know if you heard or not, but there is a massive storm coming and everyone has been called in. I'm not sure any of us are going to be able to watch you."

"What? I didn't get a call. I can be there."

"No! You are still on leave. Boss wanted to know if we thought you could manage on your own for a few days if you should go home to Laurel or not."

"I don't want to go--"

"We figured. We told him you should be fine and that it would probably be better if you stayed somewhere quiet for the time being. I will come by on my own in a little bit and make sure you got enough food and supplies for a couple of days."

"I can get it. I'm good driving. You should go check on Grace."

"Ned. You shouldn't be driving."

"I'm fine. I mean I don't feel like I could drive to Winterfell, but around town, I'm good. And my car already has the chains on it. Jory put them on the other day when we went to the store. I didn't think the storm was suppose to be that bad."

"Neither did we, but it hit some sort of polar vortex."

"Oh, anything I can do?"

"Nah, just promise me if you need help you'll call. I hate leaving you alone, man. Everyone does. You gave us a huge scare. We're worried about you."

"Now you sound like my mother. I'm cool. I'll go out to the store and get some supplies. I needed to go anyway and I should get going before it gets too crazy at the store."

"Yeah, be careful. I'll check in when I can or someone else will. Alright?"

"You just worry about being safe out there on the job. Have fun sleeping at the station on the floor."

"Very funny, Stark. Bye."

"Bye."

Ned quickly got ready to go to the store and twenty minutes later, he was pulling into a parking space at the nearest grocery store. It was early enough in the morning that the store wasn't too busy, but it was clearly more active than usual. He picked up the basics and some extra gallons of water. He got some extra groceries and foods he knew his friends liked since he doubted he would be left alone. He had grown up in the North and knew it was better to be prepared than surprised.

He returned to his apartment about an hour later, surprised he wasn't feeling tired. It felt good to get out of his apartment. Ned decided to make another pot of coffee and rest on the couch. Perhaps, he would attempt to watch some television. His phone rang again. He didn't recognize the number, but he answered it anyway. 

"Hello, Stark."

"Hey, is this Ned? It's Hoster Tully. I'm a friend of your father's and Jon."

Ned frowned. He was puzzled. He had heard about Hoster Tully from both his father and Jon. They both spoke very highly of him. Ned had never met him, but he knew his father and Mr. Tully had interned together at the capital after college. While Ned's father went on to work for the State Department, Mr. Tully had left government to work in the private sector, but they had remained friends throughout the years. He wasn't certain how Jon and Mr. Tully had met. He knew they worked on various projects throughout the years and Jon never had anything but glowing praise for the man.

Yet, Ned knew very little about the man. He knew he lived in the Riverlands and his work accomplishments, but he barely knew anything about his personal life. He was fairly certain his older brother, Brandon, had been on a few dates with one of Mr. Tully's daughters, but it may have been another daughter of their father's friends. (Knowing his brother Brandon, he probably had dated both, but Ned tried not think about that.) He had not idea why he would be calling. He wasn't sure how to answer, so he tried to remain as professional as possible.

"Yes, sir, this is Ned. How can I help you?"

"Good, then I'm just going to get to the point," Ned suppressed a chuckle at the man's abruptness. _I see why you’re friends with my father,_ he thought as Mr. Tully continued speaking. "I spoke to Jon just a few minutes ago, and he thinks you might be able to help me with a situation. My daughter is stranded at the White Harbor International Airport. All the flights have been grounded. Apparently, this storm is going to be the worst. Far more so than what they originally thought."

Hoster Tully paused for a long moment. Ned wasn't certain what he wanted or what to say. He imagined a lot of people were in a similar situation. He tried to think of something to say, but he remained quiet. Mr. Tully broke the awkward silence. 

"All the hotels are full and there is no way of getting her out of White Harbor before the storm hits. She's alone and I'm not comfortable with my 23 year old daughter being trapped alone at the airport. We don't have any family or friends in the area. I wasn't sure what else to do. Jon said you had a spare room. I hate asking, but do you think you could get her and give a place to stay until the storm passes?"

"Uh, yeah, absolutely. I can be at the airport in thirty minutes. Do you know where she is in the airport?"

"I told her to go to the North Domestic Terminal. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, sir. The airport used to be on my old patrol route, so I know my way around."

"Good. I'll let Cat know you're coming. Thank you. I will text you her contact information."

He hung up. Ned stood dumbfounded in his kitchen. He wasn't sure what to make of the exchange. He had just agreed to host a stranger for the storm. He probably should have asked more questions like what her name was. Ned glanced around his kitchen. He had plenty of food and supplies to last two weeks. It wouldn't be any problem for him, but he knew William and Mark wouldn't be thrilled with him playing host while he was still technically injured. Ned worried for a second-he did not want to scare her if one of his symptoms returned. Ned pushed his worries aside for the moment; he had already agreed and he needed to stand by his word.

Ned thought about if he needed to take anything with him before he left for the airport. It was cold and she probably would like something warm to drink. Ned went over the cabinet and pulled out a travel coffee mug. He poured the coffee from the pot into the mug. As he closed the mug, he wondered if she had a warm enough jacket. He considered for a second and then decided to take a spare jacket with him just in case. He left the travel mug on the counter in kitchen and went into his bedroom. He went to his closet a pull out his old heavy coats from the back. It was a black parka with a hood. He had used it a few times when he was uncover patrolling crowds in the coldest months of the year for hours, but he rarely wore it because it was too warm for him.

He returned to the kitchen to get the coffee. Then he walked back out of his kitchen and into his living room to get to his apartment door. He put the coffee and jacket down on the couch end table. Ned grabbed his grey coat and black scarf from their hooks and pulled them on. He took out the gloves he kept in his pocket and put them on before getting his car keys, the coffee, and spare jacket from the table and left his apartment for the airport.

Twenty-five minutes later, Eddard arrived at the airport and parked his car in the daily parking garage of the North Terminal. He used the back roads to avoid the traffic surrounding the airport. A pleasant light snow had already begun to fall, but the temperature kept dropping, causing Ned, who usually loved the colder weather, to feel mildly chilled. It would be below zero soon and the snow would get worse. He needed to get to Mr. Tully’s daughter quickly because the longer it took the more likely they would encounter traffic accidents and other problems on the road.

Ned got out of his car, taking the jacket and coffee with him. He walked towards the stairs of the parking garage, noting that he was parked on the fourth level. He headed down the stairs to the second level to use the pedestrian bridge connecting the parking garage to the terminal. Ned was relieved the walkway was enclosed. It was far colder than it had been that morning. He wished had brought a scarf and gloves for Ms. Tully. As he walked across the walkway, he could see the chaos happening down the passenger pick up area below. Ned shook his head as the scene below reminded him of how much he did not miss having to respond to traffic accident calls.

Ned arrived on the second floor of the North Terminal with no idea of who he was looking for. Hoster Tully had not texted Ned with his daughter’s information yet. There were a lot of people wandering around, most of them were on their phones. There were a couple of people sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall and their luggage sitting next to them, looking completely exhausted and defeated. He was surprised to see that there weren’t as many people as he expected to see. However, once Ned moved towards the balcony to see below to the baggage claim area, he was surprised to find out that there were hundreds of people below. It was absolute pandemonium downstairs. How was he supposed to be able to find Ms. Tully in this mess?

The baggage claim area was full of people waiting for the last second rescue. The individuals who had managed to get a hotel room were waiting inside for the hotel shuttles to arrive. There was a massive line of individuals waiting to get outside to get in line for the few buses that were still running. All the car rental windows were closed. Several of the baggage carousels had people sitting on them on their phone, clearly waiting for whoever was coming for them to get through the traffic and call them when they were close in the pick up line. Ned didn’t know where to begin to find Ms. Tully. 

Ned pulled out his phone and called the number Mr. Tully had called him from earlier. However, it was not Mr. Tully who answered, but a teenage boy.

“Hello.”

“Uh, hello, I need to speak to Hoster Tully.”

“Mr. Tully’s busy at the moment, you’ll have to call back at a different time,” snapped the boy who seemed to already be annoyed by him. 

“Um, sir, I really do need to speak with him now. It’s Ned Stark and I’m suppose to be picking up his daughter from White Harbor International. I’m at the airport but I don’t know what she looks like or her name.”

“Stark,” the boy said, dragging out his name in disgust, “yeah, Hoster mentioned you. You’re the hero of the day. I’ll let him know you’re there.”

“Thank you,” Ned said. Something wasn’t right about this guy.

“No problem. So, you need help finding her.” The boy laughed as he spoke with a mocking tone. “I’ll send you a picture. I would text you her contact information, but in my experience with Starks, it’s best to keep things simple, you know, in picture form and easy enough for a small child to understand.”

Before Ned could speak, the boy ended the call. Ned dismissed the rude boy, just another unpleasant ass, nothing unique. A moment after the call end, Ned received a picture from Mr. Tully’s phone. Ned’s mouth dropped open at the picture. Once again, Ned was beyond shocked at his phone. It was a picture of the girl, he assumed he was getting, but it was not something one would expect to be used as identification. 

The photograph was extraordinary as if it had come out of a high fashion magazine. The girl was standing on a boat in the middle river with a great evergreen forest. The water reflected the bright blue skies and the ethereal greens of the surrounding woods. Her face was turned to the side as she stared off into the distance. She appeared like her mind was far away, thinking of something carefully. Ned was not entirely certain the girl knew the photograph was being taken at the time, but it only gave her a mystical appearance. She was truly at peace on the river. Ned found that just the image of her being at peace calmed and fascinated him. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

The sun was shinning on her auburn hair revealing the lighter red tones and her skin was a beautiful porcelain color. Ned was so taken by her idyllic beauty that it took him a full minute to realize that she was only wearing a navy blue bikini in the photograph. He quickly pocketed his phone before he could analyze the lack of clothing.

Ned decided he should make his way downstairs to see if he could spot the girl from the picture, still frustrated that he did not know her name, have any contact information, or have a clear shot of her face. Ned had no idea why rude boy would sent this kind of picture and he did not want to know why Mr. Tully had an almost naked picture of his daughter on his phone. The photograph helped him narrow down his search, but it still left him with a lot of questions about who he should be looking for. He considered looking at the photo again, but he decided against it.

Ned looked through the crowds on the ground floor, trying to spot an auburn haired girl. He hoped she hadn’t changed her hair like his sister did almost every other month. He would never be able to find her. He scanned the crowds, but he didn’t see her. _Maybe, she hasn’t arrived yet at the North Terminal._ He thought. _It was a huge airport._ Ned frowned. He didn’t know anything about her cancelled flight, but it shouldn’t be that hard to find it out. He walked over to the screen displaying the flights information and their terminals.

Mr. Tully lived in the Riverlands. He wasn’t sure if Ms. Tully still lived in the Riverlands, but it was worth a try. He looked over the screen. There had been two cancelled flights scheduled to fly to the Riverlands: Seagard and Riverrun, the capital of the Riverlands. The Seagard flight was Westeros Air while the Riverrun flight was United Seven Kingdoms. He picked go towards the United Seven Kingdom’s baggage claim carousels at the very end of the North baggage claim. It seemed good place to start. Ned made his way getting closer to the end carousels and curb pickup area outside. He hoped Ms. Tully had not gone outside to wait for him. He didn’t want to try to find her out there. 

The noise and lights of the airport were beginning to get to him. He had not been around many people since before his accident and his head was being to hurt. He wanted to find Ms. Tully and get out of the airport as soon as he could. He prayed that he could last enough to drive them back to his apartment safely then he could take a nap.

Ned found a spot near the end of the baggage claim area and surveyed the area. He spotted fifteen girls with brownish red hair, but none of them were traveling alone. Ned kept going to the list of characteristic he was looking for in his head. _Beautiful, auburn haired, fair skin, twenty-something girl traveling alone,_ he thought. _I sound like a killer shopping for his next victim._ Again, he briefly considered pulling out his phone to review the picture he had to try to figure out her height and built, but he decided against it. It felt wrong to be ogling her almost naked photograph in public. He didn’t know what to do. How was he going to find her in this crowd?

The crowd and the noise were overwhelming. Ned had never had problems with crowds before, but this was different. He suddenly did not feel like himself. He was uncomfortable and anxious. His head started throbbing as his thought started to race. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to block out the crowd and his thoughts. _This feels wrong. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have that picture. It feels wrong and I don’t know, dishonest, dishonorable to have that photograph at all. I don’t want her to think she’s going home with a creep. Gods, she’s going to think I’m a pervert. Maybe I could explain that I can’t have sex because its on the concussion don’t list. That would comfort her? Shit, did I really just consider explaining why I couldn’t have sex with her?_

A voice different from his own popped into his head, one that sounded a lot like his older brother, Brandon. Brandon’s voice was using the same tone he took when he was trying to calm one of their younger siblings down. _It’s natural to think about having sex with someone you’re attracted to. You didn’t ask for that picture to be sent; you asked for help. She’s not going to think you’re a pervert unless you actually do something._

Another voice came into his head to argue with Brandon’s voice. It was the drunken voice of his best friend, Robert. _Who cares if you got a half-naked picture of her? You’re doing her the favor! It’s like I always say if a girl wants you to please, make sure she able to get on her knees._ The voice’s booming laughter pounded his head.

Robert’s voice startled Ned. He was used to hearing Robert’s vulgar jokes about girls, but he had never heard one in his head like this. _Where did that come from?_ He was sure he had heard Robert say something like that, but he was also fairly certain he had been drunk enough to punched Robert in his face for saying it at the time. (Drinking with Robert was never a good idea, but Ned had given in to Robert’s peer pressure on a few occasions.) Ned tried reasoning with himself: _This isn’t me. It’s just the injury. I’ve overdone it today and emotional and cognitive issues are to be expected. I need to focus on finding her. I’m here to help a family friend’s daughter-nothing else._

Ned tried clearing his mind by taking deep breaths, but his thoughts were overwhelming. He needed to calm down. The doctors had warned him that stressful situations or crowded environments could overwhelm him and cause anxiety. He found himself growing more apprehensive, uneasy, as his thoughts grew louder.

The noise, the crowd, the lights, the uncertainty of whom he was looking for, the pending storm-all of it came crashing into his mind. _What if I can’t find her before the storm hits?_ Ned had grown up in the North and seen plenty of terrible snow and ice storms. He knew how to drive in snow, but driving in blizzard conditions was a bad idea, especially with his head. Ned had overdone it today; he should have called William or Mark to help him to pick her up. They would be able to think about how to find her. Why couldn’t he figure out a way to find her?

He was exhausted. His head began to pound. He needed to get out of here. It was too much. Eddard could feel the panic rising in his chest as his eyes started darting around the area. He was paralyzed, he couldn’t move or think anymore. He wasn’t sure where to look or what to do. He didn’t know what to do. _Why was he even there?_ He needed to leave. He needed to . . .. There she was.

Relief washed over him. The sight of her calmed him and brought him back to his senses. The panic in his chest released as he started breathing properly again. His terrible thoughts left his mind and he could move again. He had found her.

Ms. Tully was standing by the middle baggage carousels, the one across from the doors leading to the curbside pick up lines. She was waiting for him, looking out at the doors to pick up lanes. Ned was grateful that she was smart enough to wait inside for him. She was wearing a red coat with skinny blue jeans and black ankle boots. She had her carryon suitcase and purse. She had the same unmistakable hair color and beautiful side profile. Ned knew he should be nervous to meet such a remarkable girl, but something about her just comforted him. He felt safe, a rare feeling for him. There were only two other people that made him feel truly safe: his mother and Brandon. 

As he walked towards her, navigating his way through the hoards of people, he saw she was reaching for her phone. She turned away from him to look at her phone. He was close enough to hear her talking to herself. She had a pleasant voice.

“Great, he’s an unknown serial killer.”

Ned suppressed a chuckle and answered quietly, saying the first thing that popped into his head.“I’m not a serial killer, Ms. Tully. I’ve met a couple.”

Ned went red as Ms. Tully spun around to face him. She was stunning with brilliant blue eyes. He could not believe he said that. He didn’t even say hello or introduce himself. He just said the most awkward thing he could possibly say. Why couldn’t be more like his brother or Robert and say something not hopelessly awkward for once?

“You’re one of Jon’s boys? You’re picking me up?”

She seemed to be in disbelief. She seemed to recognize him, but he had no idea why. Should he have known her? He found it hard to belief he could have forgotten meeting her, but he answered her questions.

“Yes, Ms. Tully. I’m here to help you and we should get going. The storm is coming.”


	2. Rescuers

Catelyn was shocked. Her mystery rescuer was Eddard Stark, Brandon’s little brother. He was Jon Arryn’s boy, but how? Brandon and his siblings had grown up at Winterfell, just outside the North’s capital, Wintertown, with their parents. Catelyn knew from her father that Jon had done business with Rickard, but based on everything Brandon had said, Rickard was extremely protective of his children’s privacy and they hardly ever had contact with Rickard’s work or business associates. Perhaps, Jon Arryn was closer to the Starks than she thought.

Catelyn stared at him. _Brandon’s little brother. This cannot be happening._

She had dated Brandon Stark for six months during the most turbulent year of her and Jason’s relationship. She had met Brandon through Jason’s older brother, Jeffory, during one of his infamous parties. Jason and her had decided to see other people and Brandon was the most charming man Catelyn had ever met. He had the most intense grey eyes, but it was his laugh and whirlwind nature that had enchanted her. He was a force-impossible not to notice. He always knew what he wanted and he always got it. He was gorgeous with an unmatched passion for life. He was flirty, witty, fun, impetuous and smart. He was finishing his residency when they met. He would be gone, saving lives at the hospital for days, before he would suddenly appear again to take her away on some adventure. Brandon made Catelyn feel as if everyday of her life could be a grand adventure, lived to the most extreme.

And for the first few months, Brandon’s hedonistic life was a perfect dream, a sweet departure from the drama surrounding her and Jason, freedom. But like all dreams, Catelyn had to wake up and Brandon’s intemperance and disappearances grew old quickly. She wanted more than just fun and adventure-she needed something real to hold onto, a rock instead of the wind. Catelyn had hoped Brandon would feel the same way and begin to take their relationship more seriously, but he did not. The last month they were together, he partied harder and cheated with four different girls. To Brandon’s credit, he never denied cheating and he didn’t try to pretend their relationship was working. Once he ended their relationship, she went back to Jason for even worse heartbreak.

However, Catelyn was only now realizing how much of a joke her relationship with Brandon actually was, standing in front of Ned. She knew almost nothing about the Starks. Brandon had met her whole family-parents, sibling, and uncles-while she had only seen few pictures of Brandon and his siblings. She could see the resemblance between Brandon and Eddard. They had the same grey eyes and brown hair. Ned was not as handsome as Brandon, a bit more rugged compared to Brandon’s polished playboy. Brandon was always pretty, which was enhanced by his charming smile and infectious laugh. Ned was serious. He seemed uncommonly cool and collected, which the chaos of the airport terminal only highlighted. She could tell Brandon was slightly taller than Ned, but their height difference was not much, perhaps, just two or three inches. Yet, the biggest contrast between them was simply how exhausted Ned looked. Brandon never appeared tired despite his copious amount of hangovers, hours at the hospitals, and all night partying. Ned looked as if he had not slept in months. Despite it still being the morning, he already had a five-o’clock shadow. His short facial hair was lighter than his mousy brown hair making him appear rougher, more masculine than Brandon. _He certainly looks different from Brandon,_ Catelyn thought with some relief. _He doesn’t seem nearly as high maintenance. Brandon would never have that kind of stubble, never be that unkempt. I mean, I’m not complaining . . .. It works for Ned-it’s not out of control- restrained, just slightly scruffy, a bit alluring . . .._

Catelyn pulled her thoughts back to reality as Ned continued to stand quietly in front of her. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something or do something, but she couldn’t read any of his thoughts. _What was he thinking?_ Catelyn’s attempts to regain her composure only resulted in her rediscovering how cold it was. She was freezing. Ned immediately picked up it.

“You’re shaking. Here put this on. I brought an extra jacket for you, just in case. It should be big enough to fit over your coat. Uh, let me help you.”

Catelyn nodded before placing her purse on top of her carryon suitcase. She took the jacket from him and started putting it on. Ned clumsily tried to help her with his free hand, but he caught her hair by mistake.

“I’m sorry,” he said, with his cheeks turning slightly pink. Catelyn repressed chuckling at his shyness and gracelessness.

“It’s alright,” Catelyn said. “I’m not sure I could have managed the cold that much longer.” She tried to smile at him, but her lips and teeth were shaking too much.

“I, um, also have coffee for you. Here.”

Ned presented her with the traveling coffee mug like a nervous child handing over something he had broken to an adult. He seemed genuinely uneasy around her, like he was worried she was disappointed. Catelyn wasn’t sure why he was so uncomfortable. Catelyn thanked him for the coffee and opened the lid to take a sip. It was warm and nothing else about it mattered.

“I’m parked in the daily lot. We have to go upstairs to get to the walkway.” Ned said, speaking to his feet, not looking at her.

“Lead the way.” Catelyn said, zipping up the parka. It was still loose on her despite her coat underneath. He was either bigger than he looked or her coat was completely pathetic. She suspected it was the latter.

Ned picked up her suitcase, handing her the purse, before pointing in the direction they needed to go. While Catelyn was relieved to be leaving the airport finally, she felt even more relief that Ned, her rescuer, seemed to be just as uncertain about the situation as she was and he was nothing like Brandon. 

* * *

The roads were not nearly as bad as Eddard had feared they would be. However, the temperature was dropping rapidly. Ned noted he would need to adjust his thermostat for Catelyn. _Catelyn, her name was Catelyn Tully._ She had told him on the way to his apartment. She didn’t want him to keep referring to her as Miss Tully. He hadn’t said much to her in the car. Normally, Ned would have felt self-conscience about his lack of words, but Catelyn didn’t seem to mind. She carried the majority of the conservation with grace. Ned couldn’t have been more grateful since his head was still throbbing and steadily getting worse. He had overdone it and he needed to get some rest and sleep.

Catelyn was easy to get along with as she was gracious and kind. She must have thanked him at least a dozen times in the car for coffee and jacket. Ned wasn’t initially certain she had been happy to see him when he first found her in the airport, but Ned couldn’t be sure if it was disappointment or surprise. She had briefly mentioned knowing his older brother, Brandon. It appeared she only mentioned it out of the obligation of politeness. She probably had met him and thought he was a player or an idiot, but she didn’t want to be rude by not saying anything about him. He knew Brandon probably tried hitting on her, but Catelyn was far too intelligent and elegant for Brandon. She was one of the few women far who were out of Brandon’s league and completely unattainable for someone like him.

They arrived at his apartment just as the radio announced the destruction the storm had already caused in Horn Hill. Ned did his best to get Catelyn inside his third floor apartment as quickly as he could. Even with the parka, she was not dressed for the worst of Northern weather.

Once they were inside his apartment, Ned turned to lock the door, leaving the chain off its hook. He didn’t want to scare Catelyn by doing all the locks before she had a chance to check everything out.

His apartment opened to the living and dinning room. Catelyn had barely moved into the apartment. It seemed like she was waiting.

“Do you want the grand tour?”

“Sure,” she said, still slightly shaking from the cold. He noted he needed to turn the temperature higher soon.

“Um, okay. Well, here on the left we have the dinning room and entrance to the kitchen. The kitchen is stocked, so feel free to grab anything you want from the refrigerator or pantry. There’s plenty of food.” She didn’t say anything. So, he continued.

“Over here, on the right, is the living room. There’s the couch and TV. Feel free to watch it whenever. Um, my desk is in the corner over there. Obviously. Um, you can use the computer. There’s a guest user. It doesn’t need a password and the Wi-Fi password is stored on the desktop if you need it. Uh, behind the blinds is the sliding door to the patio. Don’t try to go out on the patio. I have it sealed for the winter. It keeps the cold out. Actually, all the windows are sealed, uh, wrapped. Uh, um, I mean, you can open them. There’s not locked or anything, just sealed with wrap . . . stuff. It saves energy and keeps the place warmer.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to go outside. It’s a little cold.” Catelyn laughed.

“Right! Good!” Ned nodded. “Um, oh, there’s a table here by the door. I leave pretty much everything on it, but uh, the lamp is on a timer, so don’t freak out when it turns on and off and rip it out of the wall. I would appreciate that.”

Catelyn gave him a curious look. “That sounds like an interesting story.”

“Yeah,” Ned chuckled at the memory. “Um, Robert, my best friend. He was staying here and he got drunk and thought there was a ghost, so he, uh, attacked the lamp.”

Catelyn smiled. “Robert Baratheon is an interesting character. The lamp didn’t stand a chance.”

“The lamp won. Alright, let’s go over here.”

Ned picked up her suitcase and pointed towards the hallway. Catelyn allowed him to go ahead of her and followed him. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but he kept going with the tour. “There are two hall closets. One next to the bathroom door has the washer and dryer. That’s on the left and across is the other closet. And here, we are at the guestroom. It’s not big, but there are clean sheets on the bed. Just washed yesterday. There are clean towels in the bathroom. At the end of the hall is the door to the master suite, um, my room. It has the other bathroom in it, so you don’t have to worry about sharing it with me. That’s it, really. Yeah.”

“You could be a realtor.”

Ned went red. Perhaps, his tour was dorky. _Damnit, I’m no Robert or Brandon. They would have never done something so ridiculous. Get it together, Stark._

“It was joke. Sorry.” Catelyn flushed a beautiful shade of light pink. “Thank you. It’s a lovely apartment.”

Eddard nodded and walked into the guest bedroom to put down Catelyn’s luggage. Catelyn followed him. “There are some extra blankets in the closet if you get cold. Again, the window is sealed, so please don’t try to open it unless you have to.”

“I hope I don’t have to. It’s freezing out. How do you people live in this cold?” Catelyn interrupted.

“It’s not cold. It’s chilly, but not cold.”

Catelyn stared at him incredulously. Ned was clueless.

“Um, right,” Ned hesitated; he had no idea what he was doing or how to act around her. _They would know what to say. They would have already tried to . . .. Why do I keep comparing myself to them? I don’t do. I’ve never done that. What is it about her? It’s probably just my head. Just my head,_ Ned told himself, not completely believing it.

“Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it. Thank you.” Catelyn smiled at him, the appreciation and gratitude showed clearly on her face. Ned returned a faint smile as his head demanded for him to go to bed. He tried to think about what else she may need.

“Do you have any clean clothes?”

“Um, not really.” She said, honestly. “I didn’t pack much since I was only here for the conference and I didn’t want to check any bags. But I can make do.”

“I have a washer and dryer you can use. It’s in the hall closet. And you can borrow some things from me in the meantime.”

“I’ll be alright. You have already done so much for me.” Catelyn assured with another extraordinary smile. She was clearly someone was self-reliant, but Ned couldn’t let it go.

“It’s alright. I probably have something that would be warmer than anything you packed.” Ned relied.

Catelyn didn’t say anything, but she nodded her head in agreement. She was still wrapped in her coat and his parka despite the warmth of his apartment. Ned quickly went around her to get out of the guestroom and walked to his room. He grabbed a pair of his warmest sweats from his dresser and a couple pairs of socks before going to his closet and pulling out a long-sleeve tee shirt and sweatshirt. Then he returned to Catelyn’s room.

“They’re clean.” He said as he handed her the clothes. “I know they’re probably too big for you, but they should keep you warm.”

“Thank you.” Catelyn said with her smile faltering. Something wasn’t right.

“Is everything good?”

“Yeah . . .. Yes.” Catelyn stammered. “You’ve done so much for me. I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh.”

The two of them stood in awkward silence. Neither one of them seemed to know how to proceed. Ned wasn’t sure if there was anything else he needed to do. Catelyn seemed like she was alright, perhaps, a bit overwhelmed. Eddard decided it would probably be best if he let her get settled in.

“I’ll just get out of your way. Let me know if you need anything.” Ned said before departing the room. He went back into the living room to put up his jacket and placed his keys on the end table. He walked over the thermostat and turned the heat up. It would be far warmer than he was comfortable with, but not too hot that it would be unbearable for him. It seemed like a decent compromise for them. He then went to his room, leaving his door partly opened. He noticed as he walked pass Catelyn she was on her phone. She was probably calling her father. Ned didn’t turn on the light. There was enough light in from the hall for him to move around. The storm clouds had hidden all the daylight, leaving his room dark. He went to the bathroom. After he finished and washed his hands, he grabbed the bottle of pill his doctor prescribed him from the cabinet. He took the dosage with some water before he returned to his bedroom. He sat down on his bed and pulled off his over shirt and shoes and socks. He could faintly hear Catelyn on the phone with someone. He couldn’t tell what she was saying, but soon she was laughing on the phone. It was a lovely laugh. He stretched out on his bed, listening to the sounds of her voice. He fell asleep before he could pull his blanket over him.

* * *

Ned didn’t hover. Catelyn was relieved. She needed a moment to take a breath.

She glanced around the guest room. It was small, cozy room with a full size bed, wooden dresser, and bookshelf. She walked over to the bed and put down her purse on the dark grey comforter and clean clothes at the foot of the bed. She felt uncomfortable for a moment as she stood in a stranger's guest room. She shook her head, telling herself, _it would be worse staying in an airport._ But she still felt anxious as she studied her new surroundings. The dresser had a mirror hanging over it, but no other décor surrounding it. There were a few stretches of framed landscapes hanging around the room and the white curtains had been pulled shut. Near the window in the corner was a tall slender bookshelf. Every shelf on the bookshelf was packed full. She noticed at the top of the bed there was a white blanket draped over the headboard and a small stuff wolf snuggled in between the pillows as if it had burrowed itself for warmth. The white throw blanket didn't look like it would be warm enough to combat this kind of cold. She hoped there were warmer blankets.

Catelyn wasn't sure what to do next. She pulled Ned's jacket closer around her. She had been surprised by his kindness and thoughtfulness. He seemed like a good guy, a little awkward and quiet. His tour had been slightly dorky, but in a cute, "I'm trying my best" sort of way. There was something endearing about how hard he was trying to be a good caring host. Catelyn prayed she hadn't insulted him with her comment. Despite her initial shock and disappointment at him being the one to rescue her, she wanted him to like her. He was so genuine in his attempts to make her comfortable, she couldn't help but become self-conscious about making sure she was trying her best too.

As Catelyn tried to figure how to show her gratitude to Ned, she remembered she was suppose to call her father to let him know she was safe. Catelyn quickly got her phone out of her purse and saw she had missed three calls from her father and five calls from her uncle. She decided to call her father first. Catelyn wasn't sure the phone rang before her father answer.

"Cat? Are you alright? Did you get to Ned's apartment alright? Is everything good there, enough food?"

"Hi, Dad. Yes, I'm alright. We managed to get to Ned's apartment with no trouble. He's got plenty of food and water. It's freezing outside, but he brought me one of his spare parka. He seem like a nice guy. Quiet. Did you get Lysa and Edmure home okay?"

"Good, Jon always spoke very highly of him. You let me know if he mistreats you in any way, Little Cat. Yes, Lysa, Edmure, and Petyr are home. Your mom is staying at the hospital. They moved to twelve-hour shifts and she'll probably have to sleep overnight there."

Catelyn paused at the mention of her mother. She wasn't sure what to say. Her mother, Minisa, and Catelyn had gotten into a nasty fight a couple weeks before she left for White Harbor. While the two of them had reconciled, before she left, there was still some lingering hurt feelings on Catelyn's end. Catelyn had always been closer to her father, while Lysa, her younger sister, had been closer to their mother. Yet, Catelyn had always felt like she had a good relationship with their mother. (Or at least a better relationship than Lysa's respective relationship with their father). However, everything felt different after their fight and Catelyn wasn't sure if they could work truly through it.

"That's good," Catelyn said, uncertain about saying anything else.

"I've filled her in on the situation during her break. She would have called, but she was needed back to the NICU. I think they might have lost one of the babies. You should give her a text. Just let her know you are okay."

Catelyn heart dropped; she hated hearing that her mother's team had lost a patient. Her mother worked as a nurse in the NICU at the local hospital in Riverrun. It never seemed to get easier when one of the babies passed away. Normally, when she heard about her mom losing one of their little patients, she take her mother a cup of tea or make her one when she got home and they would talk for a few hours. It wasn't anything big, but it was special to both of them. Now, her father was requesting for her to send a text- _had they really fallen that far apart in just a couple of weeks?_

Catelyn nodded before realizing she needed to vocalize her answer. "Sure, Dad. I'll . . . text her."

"Good. I'll let you go, Cat. Stay safe and let me know if there are any issues with that boy."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too, Little Cat"

Once Hoster hung up, Catelyn immediately started texting her mother a message. She kept it simple: _Hi, Mom. I'm safely at Ned's apartment in White Harbor. Hopefully, the storm won't last long. Dad said you were having a tough shift. I wish I could bring you a cup of tea. Love, Cat._

After sending the message to her mother, she quickly called Uncle Brynden before he filed a missing person’s report. However, to her surprise, it was her Uncle Colin who answered the phone.

“Hey, Catelyn,” Uncle Colin said in his unnatural cheery voice. “Are you okay? Brynden has been trying to get you on the phone for the last twenty minutes.”

“I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t realize my phone was on silent. Is he around?”

Uncle Colin chuckled. “He is. He’s on the phone with Chief Glover.”

“What?!”

“He was worried about you, so he called the police chief.” 

“What? Colin! You’re suppose to stop him from calling the National Guard.”

“He’s not the National Guard.” Colin said flippantly. “He’s an old friend.”

“Everyone in law enforcement and military is an old friend of Uncle Brynden!

Colin laughed again. “True, but he’s known Glover for years. Besides, I don’t think he’s getting the reaction he wanted from Glover. He called expecting him to instantly jump into action to save you, but instead he’s getting an earful about how good the kid is. He’s a Stark and Northmen are funny about their Starks. I don’t think Bryn is ever going to get it through his thick head that some people are just as protective as he is when it comes to the people they care about.”

Catelyn shook her head, before she realized what Uncle Brynden had done. “Wait! Uncle Brynden called his boss!” Catelyn wasn’t sure if she should be horrified or mortified. After everything Eddard had done for her, her uncle was currently interrogating Ned’s boss.

“Actually, I think it is his boss’s boss.”

“Oh, no.”

Catelyn’s Uncle Brynden was usually the most patient and understanding member of her family. However, he was extremely overprotective of his nieces and nephew and he had connections to almost every government agency in Westeros (and Essos). Catelyn had no doubt he could easily make someone disappear and she could have sworn she once heard him tell Jason that he had diplomatic immunity in forty-six countries. He could simply destroy or damage Ned’s career in a second. Catelyn’s heart sank. 

“Don’t worry, Cat,” Colin assured with earnest tenderness in his voice. Catelyn knew he could tell she was upset. “Bryn may huff and puff, but he won’t blow anyone’s career away without a good reason. From what I can tell, Stark is a good kid, good cop, and decorated soldier. You got one of the good ones looking out for you. It’s about time.”

Catelyn let out a long breath. Uncle Colin was always a bit mischievous and loved to joke around; he could never stay serious for long. Yet, Colin always had a way of knowing when to stop joking and give a serious answer. “He really shouldn’t have called Ned’s boss or his boss’s boss.”

“Oooohhh, Ned. Nickname already? When’s the wedding?”

Catelyn laughed. “Colin!”

“He’s cute, isn’t he? Cuter than Brandon?”

“Where’s Uncle Brynden?”

“Aw, damn, Brandon’s the better looking one, isn’t he? That’s how it goes, the jerks are the ones with the looks.”

"No! What?! Yes, no!" Catelyn was flustered. "Colin, Eddard isn't anything like Brandon."

Colin laughed. "Alright, so the guy isn't a pig, low bar. What's he like?"

"You aren't going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

"He's quiet, nice, serious, and slightly peculiar."

"Good butt?"

"Colin! That isn't appropriate!"

"Well, it's what got me about your uncle. You don't think I stay with him because of his award-winning personality? Nope, tight butt and good dick-that’s the secret to long-lasting relationship!"

Catelyn was completely red in the face, laughing at Uncle Colin’s inappropriateness. When Catelyn finally got herself composed enough to say something, she found herself giving an honest answer. "I didn't get a chance to see it."

"What?" Colin laughed.

"His coat was covering him."

"Ah, well, you better get on it." Catelyn and Colin both broke into a fit of giggles.

“What’s so funny, Colin?” Catelyn could hear her Uncle Brynden’s voice from the other side of the phone.

“Butts, Bryn, Butts.” Catelyn did her best to conceal her laughter now that Uncle Brynden was nearby. 

“I should not have asked. Can I have the phone?”

Colin gave a cheery laugh as she heard the phone being passed.

“Hello, Cat--aha!” Uncle Brynden made a startled sound. Catelyn suspected Colin was behind it. She heard some wrestling from the other end of the phone followed by Colin’s distinctive laughter and Uncle Brynden grunting in disapproval. Catelyn smiled. They truly were an odd pair-Colin’s unyielding brightness and Brynden’s tough grumpiness. Sometimes, it seemed like they only had two things in common: being the outcast of their families and their deep love and devotion for each other.

“Uncle Brynden, are you still there?”

“Uh, yes. I’m here, Cat. There are some questions I would like you to answer.”

Catelyn spoke briefly with Brynden. He wanted to know the basics like Eddard’s address, details of the apartment complex and apartment, and, of course, the sleeping arrangements. She answered every question as thoroughly as she could. While her answers seemed to satisfy him, he did not really seem pleased until she promise to remain in touch with them and let him know if anything happened.

After she ended the phone call with Brynden, she went out into the hallway to see where Eddard was. The apartment was silent. Ned’s bedroom door was slightly opened, but it was completely dark in his room. It appeared he was taking a nap. _I wonder if he works the night shift,_ Catelyn thought. _That would explain why he looked so exhausted._ Catelyn went back into the guestroom.

Since the apartment was getting warmer, she decided to take off her coats and take a shower. She had skipped showering that morning since she had to be at the airport so early to get through security. She put the coats in the closet and retrieved her blue travel toiletry case from her suitcase. She also pulled out the smallest packing cube that contained what few clean clothes she had left. Catelyn pulled out an undershirt, bra, and underwear. She would need to do some laundry for tomorrow, but she decided to hold off while Ned was sleeping. She gathered up the travel case, her clean clothes, and most clothes she was borrowing from Eddard to take to bathroom. She left behind the sweatshirt.

Catelyn felt better and more relaxed after she showered and dressed. She braided her wet hair and left the towels hanging in the bathroom to dry. As she went back to the guestroom, she saw that Ned’s room was still dark. She found the sweatshirt Ned had given her to wear. Catelyn frowned. It was a Watchers sweatshirt. Catelyn was disgusted. _How could he be a Watchers fan?_ The Watchers were a popular Northron football team. However, Catelyn had been indoctrinated since conception as a Rivermen fan. If her father or brother saw her wearing something like this, she would be forever disowned. However, she was cold. Catelyn prayed for forgiveness and pulled on the ghastly black sweatshirt.

With Ned still asleep and Catelyn not completely comfortable with the idea of raiding Ned’s kitchen, Catelyn had no idea what to do. The feelings of strangeness crept back. She decided to remain in the guestroom for now. She could hold out on food for a little while longer. She wandered over to the bookshelf in the corner to see if he had anything good. She wasn’t optimistic since he had terrible taste in sports teams. However, Ned’s bookshelf was a huge surprise.

Eddard’s bookshelf was filled with _Otherworlders_ books. Catelyn had never known anyone else to read as many _Otherworlders_ books as she did. Ned’s collection was far more impressive than hers. _Otherworlders_ books were part of the _Otherworlders Society,_ which had started two hundred years ago. Several of the old Great Houses used to have control over the publishing companies and used their influence to censor books. At the peak of the Great House censorship, a group of individuals merged: the _Otherworlders._ Since the censorship was rooted either in maintaining the perfect image of nobles and their lands, a small group of authors created a new world and used pseudonyms. They spelled their pen names strangely and claimed to be from a different world. With a way around the Great Houses, the publishers called them the _Otherworlders_. No one ever learned the true names of the original authors, but they inspired hundreds of authors. 

The _Otherworlders Society_ was still going strong and many authors never reveal their true names. Catelyn had heard about there being unmasking competitions held throughout the literary world, which scholars and fans work to be the first to identity the true name of writer. Catelyn had read many of the classic _Otherworlders_ writers: Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Agatha Christie. However, Ned’s collection went beyond the classics. He had books from John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and many other authors Catelyn had never heard about. She was truly amazed. She felt like a kid in a candy store with no idea where to begin. She could stayed here forever with Ned just for his _Otherworlders_ collection. 

After debating over several potential books, Catelyn settled on a Stephen King book called _The Shining._ She had never read anything by him, but she had heard wonderful comments about his writing. She grabbed stuff wolf, propped up the pillows, and curled up on the bed underneath the white blanket and began to read.

Catelyn had not made it far into the book when she heard someone at the front door of the apartment. She looked up from the book. _Was Ned expecting someone?_ She pulled off the blanket and careful placed the wolf and book to the side. She swung her legs to the side of the bed. She wondered if she should go wake Ned up. Catelyn heard the lock turn. Whoever the person was, he had a key. _Or she,_ said a voice in her mind. Catelyn did not like the voice or the idea of the mystery person being a girl. _It would be too complicated if it was a girl or girlfriend, too much drama._ She told herself. _That’s why I don’t want it to be a girl. I don’t want cause him any trouble . . .._

The door open and a male voice called out “Ned?” 

Catelyn was pleased it wasn’t a girl, but suddenly, she realized she wasn’t comfortable with another strange guy either. She had nothing to defend herself with. 

“Ned? It’s William. You didn’t pick up the phone, you alright?”

Catelyn was relieved. However, she found it odd that Ned was being checked on simply because he didn’t answer the phone. Maybe it was because of the storm. Catelyn got up from the bed. She gathered her courage and walked out of the bedroom to greet the man named William. 

William was standing in Ned’s dinning room holding three reusable grocery bags. He was shocked to see her, but his focused remained on Eddard.

“Where’s Ned?”

“In his room,” she replied. 

William placed the bags on the table and rushed past her to get to Ned’s room with Catelyn following. William went straight to Eddard and bend down over him. She couldn’t see much in Ned’s room, but she could tell Ned was asleep in bed. William checked Ned’s pulse and breathing. Ned stirred slightly, but didn’t wake up. William continued his evaluation of Eddard’s health for a few minutes before leaving the room. He motioned for Catelyn to follow back to the dinning room. Once they were back in the dinning room, he immediately started interrogating her.

"How long has he been like that?"

Catelyn was confused. _Who did this guy think he was? Why was he checking on Ned like he was a patient in a hospital?_ "You mean, how long has he been napping? I don't know, a couple of hours. What’s going on?"

William ignored her question and kept asking her questions. "Do you know if he fainted or vomited?"

"No. Uh . . . I mean, no, I don't know if he has fainted or vomited. He seemed fine to me when we got here."

“Did he complain about any dizziness or blurry vision?”

“No. He didn’t complain about anything.”

“Have you seen any signs of memory loss or slurred speech?”

“No, memory loss that I know of. No, slurred speech.” Catelyn replied. Her patience with this guy was wearing thin. Before she could stop herself, she flippantly added, “He did use the word ‘um’ a lot.”

William frowned at Catelyn’s sarcasm, but he didn’t mention it. “Right, who are you?”

“Catelyn Tully. And you are?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed a place to stay for the storm. My flight got cancelled and my father called in a favor with Jon Arryn.”

“Where are you from?”

“Riverrun.”

“Why were you in White Harbor?”

“Academic conference. Am I under arrest, officer?”

“Not yet. Why—,” William began to speak but Catelyn cut him off.

"I'm not answering another question until you answer my questions. Who are you? What are you doing here? And what is wrong with Ned?”

"William."

"I got that."

"I'm a friend."

"I figured that one out too." Catelyn said coolly.

William sighed. “William Dustin, an old friend. I grew up with him. Our mothers were best friends, our fathers worked together, and I’ve known Ned his whole live. In fact, I’ve known all the Stark siblings their whole lives.”

"Even Brandon?" Catelyn interrupted, unable to stop the question from coming out.

William's expression changed. He turned to the full grocery bags on the dinning table. "Yes, I know Brandon." He said bristly. "We were friends growing up." William did not elaborate on his current relationship with Brandon, but his tone was clear: William and Brandon were no longer friends. William quickly refocused the conversation as he began to unload one of the grocery bags. "Ned was injured on the job a couple of weeks. He took a severe hit to the head and suffered a nasty concussion. We have been looking after him. He's been having some trouble, but he’s getting better. When he didn't answer the phone early, I was worried and I decided to stop by and check on him."

Once again Catelyn was shocked, she had no idea Eddard was injured. He had seemed fine, slightly awkward, but fine. He had driven to his apartment with no trouble in the snow. Ned never complained about any pain. She felt horrible--he did not need to be playing rescuer with a concussion. Catelyn watched William remove a loaf of whole-wheat sandwich bread, tortilla chips, beef jerky, a six-pack of applesauce, a box of crackers, a six-pack vanilla pudding, a jar of peanut butter, a graham crackers, and four cans of fruit. He folded the reusable bag and placed it on the counter.

“I didn’t know,” Catelyn confessed. “He didn’t say anything.” She moved closer to the table. William looked at her and smiled. “He wouldn’t. Don’t take it personally. He wouldn’t complain or say anything even if he cut off his arm.”

Catelyn nodded. “Do you want some help?”

“No, I got it. I know where everything goes if you haven’t noticed Ned is meticulous about where everything goes. Have a seat.”

Catelyn sat down, still feeling terrible. Today had had too many surprises. William started picking up a few of the groceries items and walked over to the pantry with them. He started placing them on their correct shelf inside the pantry.

“What happened? How did he get hurt?”

“Oh, well, um, it happened a few weeks ago. I guess the short version of the story is that Mark and Ned went to interview someone on a case they were investigating. When they got there, the guy knew he was suspect, so he tried to run. He punched Mark, tried to hit Ned, but Ned ducked and went to subdue him, but the guy got out of his grip and picked up a . . .um. . . thingy. Damn, what’s it called?” William looked over at Catelyn as if she could name the object for him. After a few seconds, Catelyn shrugged and he continued his story. “I can’t remember, but anyway, he bashed it against the side of Ned’s head. Mark tried to stop him and he took a swing at Mark and then Ned tackled him before he could hurt Mark again.” 

“That’s awful.”

“Yeah, the guy will probably end up doing more time for the assault than he would have done for the burglary. Pry bar!” William said. “It was a pry bar. I remember thinking it was strange how the guy kept calling a crow bar a pry bar. Like it would make it seem not as bad. Strange dude. Doesn’t really matter what you call it. It was a steel tool and he was going to get an assault charge no matter what.”

“You said that you've been looking after him since then?"

"Yeah, Mark, Jory, and me. At first we thought he was fine, but he collapsed at work a few days after it happened. That’s how we found out how bad he was. His mom was here for a while and she arranged for us to come stay with him. Mark and I would rotate staying with him at night and Jory would stay during the day. He works nightshift. Mark was suppose to stay with him today since Jory had training, but we all were called in to work because of the storm."

"You're all cops?"

"Mark, Ned, and I are detectives. Jory is still in uniform."

"Oh, you must be close, all of you."

"Yeah, we've known each other forever. Mark, Ned, and I served together overseas."

"During the war?"

"Yeah, Ned and Mark are still reserves, but I've seen enough war. I retired."

"How long were you in the service?"

"Twelve years, uh, active duty for four years and reserved eight years. I did three tours." William paused for a second to think before moving towards the other bag to pull out three premade meals. "Ned and Mark joined together with Ned's best friend, Robert after they graduated college. After the war, Ned and Mark went into the reserves. And Robert was honorably discharged and he went back to his kindergarteners.”

"Kindergarteners?"

"Yeah, Robert's a kindergartener teacher. He used to volunteer at community center with them and he got a degree in early education before he joined."

"Kindergarteners. Robert Baratheon."

"Well, they hit second grade and they become more mature than him."

"Robert. He's a teacher?" Catelyn was in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know, but he's doing really well. He attends his anger management groups and he's gotten help with his drinking. He’s got custody of his youngest brother, Renly, I think that’s his name and Mya, his daughter, on the weekends. He’s still Robert from what Ned says, just happier and healthier.”

“I’m shocked.”

“Yeah, he’s turning into a really good man. I mean, he still had the maturity of a six year old, but a good one now.”

“You know Robert?”

“We met at one of Brandon’s parties . . ..” Catelyn stopped speaking. She wasn’t sure about talking about Brandon.

William tensed at the mention of Brandon. He grabbed the three meals and walked them to the refrigerator. After he placed them in the refrigerator, he turned to Catelyn. He appeared to be considering something for a moment. “Are you a friend of Brandon’s?”

“No,” Catelyn said, sitting back in the chair. “We dated for six months and he cheated and I haven’t talked to him since he finished his surgical residency.”

William clenched his jaw and let out a long breath through his nose. “Yeah, Brandon isn’t one for monogamy. He, uh,” William paused and shook his head before continuing, “does what he wants and who he wants.” William released the tension in his jaw, sighing. “I don’t think he’s a bad guy and he is a gifted surgeon. He was always talented with something pointy and gods know he has the hubris of a surgeon, but I haven’t been able to get passed what he did. So, I get it.”

“Yeah, amazing doctor, shitty person. That’s him. I’m sure it’s only going to be worst once he finished his plastic surgery residency.”

“Oh, I didn’t know he didn’t was going into plastic surgery.”

Catelyn nodded. She was about to say something more, but William spoke first.

“Don’t say anything to Ned. I don’t want him to know I was saying anything about Brandon. I know his loyalty is torn enough as it is.” It was clear William was worried.

“Sure.”

“Good.” William looked relieved. “Alright, I’m going to go wake him up in a minute. He should eat something for lunch. You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Alright, I hope you like chicken pot pie.” William took out the last premade meal container from the last bag and unwrapped it. He took the container and placed it inside the oven. He turned on the oven and set the temperature. “That should warm it back up. Laurel sent over some dinners and lunches. She figured pot pie would be gentle enough for him, in case his head was hurting and he was feeling sick.”

“It seems like he’s got a wonderful support system here.” Catelyn commented.

William gave her an uncomfortable half-smile as if he was trying to shrug it off and say it wasn’t a big deal. “He would do the same for us. Hell, he has done the same and more for us, especially when we were stationed overseas. We were worried about him being alone, but now, you’re here. I know you would probably prefer being home, but it’s kind of a blessing for us.”

“I haven’t done anything. I didn’t even know he need help.” Catelyn admitted and looked away from him.

“That’s alright. Just having someone here is good.”

Catelyn forced herself to look back at him. She wanted to argue with him saying she didn’t know and she would have left him in bed. However, before she could start arguing with William, he seemed to sense her discomfort.

“He can do a lot for himself and I highly doubt that he was in any danger this morning. It’s just he isn’t completely healed and it’s easier on us knowing there is someone here, just in case. I know it might not feel like you are doing anything, but as long as there is someone here, it’s a lot. I mean, you would call for help, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course!”

“Then you’re doing exactly what we need. You are truly helping us. We don’t have to worry or try to get over here and Mark and Jory can stay focused on their jobs. It’s going to be dangerous with this storm. You’re rescuing the rescuers. ”

William left the room and walked towards Ned’s room. Catelyn considered their conservation. She wondered what happened between William and Brandon and if William knew why Jon Arryn would consider Ned one of his boys. Ned seemed to have an amazing support system in the North. They needed someone to watch over him, a glorified babysitter. She could do that, especially after everything he was doing for her by giving her a ‘warm’ place to stay and food. Ned had rescued her and she was determined to do the same for him. Smiling to herself with her new resolve, she reached into the horrible sweatshirt’s pocket for her phone.

Catelyn saw that she had two missed text messages. The first one was from her mother: _Hi, I’m sorry about your flight being cancelled. I’m not certain about your father’s idea of a solution. I will be speaking to him once I get home. Luckily, there is no reason for tea today, darling. Just a small scare, but I would not have minded seeing you. I miss you. Be safe, stay in touch. Love you._

Catelyn’s smile widen when she saw her mom’s text. She knew in an instant her mom’s “I miss you” was not about her being gone for the long weekend. Her mom was also struggling with the gap between them. Maybe they could work through everything. It had only been one fight. She quickly responded to her mom: _I’m glad it was only a scare, but I still would have come if I could. I miss you too. Everything is fine here. Text you later. Love you too!_

Catelyn opened the other text message. It was from Uncle Colin. She giggled as she read the text: _Did you see it? Is it a good one?_

Catelyn heard William and Ned. She wondered if she should try to set the table. She got up and walked to the kitchen to find plates and silverware. She managed to find them and started placing them around the table when she heard William coming back. He was on the phone, discussing Eddard with one of the many people who were worried about him.

“He’s fine. I think he just overdid it today. He went to a crowned airport and the noise and lights triggered a headache. I think he’ll be alright once,---Lyarra, Lyarra, calm down, he’s fine . . .. No! He’s not back at work.”

William entered into the dinning room and saw Catelyn setting the table for lunch. He mouthed the word ' _thank you'_ as he listened to the phone.

“Lyarra, he can explain better than I can . . . I know . . .. It’s fine . . .. He’s okay.” William rolled his eyes. “From what I understand, Ned was at the airport picking up _a friend_ who had _their_ flight cancelled because of the storm . . .. No…. No . . .. They’ve known each other for _a time_. . .. They understand Ned’s injury . . .. No. . .. Yes…. No, she just needed someone to pick her up and a place to stay.” Catelyn could hear the voice on the other end of the phone get louder. William closed his eyes and muttered a curse under his breath. After a few minutes of the voice speaking very loudly and rapidly, William spoke. “Yes, it is a girl.”

Catelyn knew in an instant who the person was on the phone with William: _Eddard’s mother. Only a mother would react that way about hearing about a girl. William was trying to cover for Ned and accidently told her._

Ned walked into the dinning, appearing to be even more exhausted than he did earlier when she first met him at the airport. He was wearing only a short sleeve tee shirt, jeans, and socks- _how was he not freezing?_ Ned came over to stand next to her at the table. He saw William now pacing in the kitchen on the phone. He quietly spoke to her.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry, I should have said something to you and warn you about my handlers. They are making too big of a deal about my head.” It was clear to Catelyn his concern for her was genuine, just as it was clear to her that he was still attempting to downplay his concussion. Catelyn stared at him. She was not going to let him get away with downplaying his injury. She had been given the task of watching over him and she was not going to allow him to think she was going to be fooled so easily.

“You need to be honest with me. _Always._ You could have told me. I’m not going to think less of you.” Catelyn said as she softly touched his arm. “You’ve done so much for me. Let me help you.”

Ned gazed down at her and gently rested his hand over hers. “Alright, I will be.” Their eyes locked with each other. Catelyn felt a calmness wash over her as they reached an understanding. They could help each other. Catelyn bit her lip, uncertain as another feeling, an unfamiliar feeling, crept into her heart. _There’s something about him,_ she thought. She couldn’t place it, but it was beginning to make her feel awkward and self-conscious. She needed to say something, but she didn’t know what. So, she said the first thing that came into her mind: “Hi.”

Ned smiled softly. He didn’t strike her as someone who smiled often, but when he did, it was beautiful. He returned her awkwardness. “Hi.” Neither of them knew how to proceed and continue to stand, staring at each other in sweet awkwardness. Ned finally broke the silence. “Um, is everything okay with your room?”

“Yes,” Catelyn nodded, both of them were whispering now. “Thank you. How’s your head?”

“It’s fine--.“ Catelyn raised her eyebrow, warningly. Ned appeared contrite and corrected himself. “It hurts. I would rather be lying down. I’m not hungry.”

“You need to eat.” Catelyn smiled understandingly. Catelyn and Ned held each other’s focus for a few seconds before-.

“EDDARD!” William shouted.

Catelyn and Eddard jumped apart. Catelyn had forgotten about William and the call. Ned appeared shaken by William’s existence. “Your mother wants to speak with you.”

Ned nodded and got the phone from William.

“Hi, Mama.” He said. “Yes, I’m fine.” Ned paused for a long moment as his mother talked on the other end. “Yes, her name is Catelyn. I’ll explain more later, but William is getting lunch ready . . .. Can I call you tomorrow? I’m going to go back to bed after lunch . . .. Yes, she’ll keep an eye on me . . .. Yes, I can give her your number just in case . . .. Alright, Mama. I love you . . .. Bye.”

Ned hung up the phone and handed it back to William.

“I see your mother has relaxed. That’s nice.” William said, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

“What? She’s not that bad, Will. She’s under a lot of stress and she wishes she could be here. It’s just concern.”

“Mama’s boy.”

“Dude!”

“Mama’s boy!”

“Will! Come on!”

“Alright, Mama’s boy. Let’s get some food!”

Catelyn watched the two of them finish preparing the food. She could tell William thought of Ned as a little brother. _It’s probably something him and Brandon used to bond over._ Ned was completely different from Brandon. _He’s awkward, serious, and kind, but there’s something else about him._ She couldn’t read him the way she did Brandon, but she barely knew Ned. There would be time to figure him out and then she could figure how what this unfamiliar feeling. Perhaps, it just was anxiety over the awkwardness between them. She wondered if he felt the same feeling. Catelyn still had a dozen questions about him. _Did he have questions about her?_ Catelyn watched Ned, who was now getting something out of the pantry. She studied him for a moment while both William and Ned’s backs were towards her. _Well, at least I have the answer to one question._

Catelyn pulled out her phone and responded to her Uncle Colin’s text. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I’m sorry this is so late. It’s been crazy here. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! Thank you for reading and all the comments. 
> 
> I want to thank sickntired for helping out with some grammar mistakes on the first chapter! (I’m sure I’ll make more.) I’ll do grammar sweeps when I’m posting a new chapter on the previous chapters. Grammar isn’t one of my strengths. So, please let me know if something doesn’t make sense. I edited this chapter, but I’m worried that I’ve been staring at it too long and everything has blended together! 
> 
> I’m going to expand this story to at least five chapters. I have the story mapped out, but I don’t want the chapter to be longer than 10,000 words. So, I have to add another chapter. Let me know if there is anything you want to see or know and I’ll see if I can work it in! Thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting. I will try to have the next chapter out as soon as I can. Unfortunately, it won’t be this week, because of my work schedule. I originally wanted to be able to post weekly, but it looks like it will be every other week. I guess I’m going to aim for the 5th. Hopefully! Thank you!


	3. The Sounds of the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry this update is beyond late! 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys it!

“Fuck you, Robert.” Ned muttered as he rolled over in his bed to reach for his alarm clock on his stand night. He looked at the time as if checking the time on his alarm clock would magically change the time from the time displayed on his phone. It read the same time: 5:57am. _Fuck Robert and fuck his early morning work out calls,_ he thought.

Ned put down the clock and stretched out on his bed. He knew it would be impossible for him to get back to sleep with the wind howling outside. The huge snowstorm had been mild yesterday afternoon, but as the night passed, it became a massive blizzard. He had lived through plenty of snowstorms with high winds and deep snowfall, but he had always been home and he felt safer within its walls. During his time living in White Harbor, there had been a few snow storms, but this one had a brutality to it that chilled him and made him doubt that he would feel as safe here as he would at home. The usual sounds outside this apartment were gone and everything muted, except the howls of the winds. 

Eddard stayed in his bed listening to the winds and thinking about what Robert had said on the phone. He was proud of his best friend’s sobriety and his commitment to having a healthier life. Robert had worked hard to conquer his demons after everything that had happened in their childhood, the death of his parents, and war. Now, Ned received early morning workout calls instead of late night drunken “where am I” calls. 

It had been good to hear from Robert. They hadn’t spoken to each other since his accident. Robert had been keeping updated through his mother and younger sister, Lyanna, but with the storm, Robert was too concerned to not hear directly from Ned. They had talked for an hour despite Ned desperately wanting more sleep. 

Robert had already made a new fitness recovery plan for Ned since his injury had prevented him from sticking to Robert’s latest fitness routine. (Robert had tried in the past to create diets for Ned to follow, but Ned had told Robert to keep his kale, blueberry-banana protein shakes, and rabbit food to himself.) Ned was not entirely thrilled about the idea of another intense fitness regiment from Robert, but since Robert’s plan included Robert coming to White Harbor during his next school break coming up in a few weeks, Ned was excited (or at least as excited as he could be this early in the morning). However, not everything they had discussed had been pleasant. 

Robert wanted to discuss Madyson. Ned wanted to discuss anything, but her. Robert wouldn’t let it go and now, imagines and thoughts of Mady taunted him. Eddard slowly rolled out of his bed, still wishing he could go back to sleep and forget about Mady for just a few more hours. He cursed Robert again in his mind before heading into the bathroom. 

After he had finished, he wandered back into his bedroom uncertain about what to do next. Ned looked around his room; it seemed larger without her belongings. Ned wondered if he would ever get used to the fact she was no longer apart of his life. He had to get out of the room. Perhaps, coffee would help. 

Ned quickly left the room and headed towards the kitchen. He could see the guest bedroom door was open and Catelyn still was sleeping peacefully through the storm. For a moment, he thought about looking in on her, but he decided not to. He felt creepy for considering it. He wasn’t sure about Catelyn, there was something indescribable about her. A part of him wondered if he was attracted to her, but ultimately, he knew it was too soon for him to be attracted to someone else and it certainly inappropriate for him to think about someone in care in a non-platonic way.

_Besides,_ Ned thought, _regardless of the timing or situation, she is beyond me and she could never see me as anyone worthwhile. Stop. You are just thinking about Catelyn like that because you are hurt over Madyson. It’s nothing._ Yet, Ned could not fully convince himself that it was truly nothing. 

Once Eddard entered the kitchen, he made a pot of coffee as he tried to clear his head. As he waited for the coffee to brew, he went through the mail William had brought in yesterday. There were only three pieces of mail: a reminder for his upcoming follow-up doctor’s appointment, a credit card offer, and a card from Ashara. He picked up Ashara’s card and opened it. It was a wedding invitation with a small handwritten note. 

Ned had forgotten about Ashara’s upcoming wedding in Dorne in a couple of months. He had not spoken to Ashara in a few months, but that was not uncommon for them. They could go months without speaking with one another and then pick up their conversation right where they had left it. Ned gave a gentle smile at the invitation. He remembered the day Ashara had announced her engagement. Ned had been in King’s Landing with Robert and Jon Arryn during the summer to see some old friends. Ashara’s best friend, Elia Martell had invited him to come Ashara’s surprise birthday party. She had told everyone at the party about her engagement while Oberyn and Elia had started taking bets on how long the marriage would last. (Ashara gave it two years.) 

Ned placed the invitation on the counter and turned to open the folded handwritten note. In Ashara’s bubbly, cheery, big handwriting, it said:

_Ned,_

_I can’t wait to see you and Mady! Hopefully, the next wedding will be yours! And I know your marriage to Mady will certainly last! Don’t be afraid, just ask her already! Once she sees the ring, she’ll said yes! Any girl would say yes to that ring! You two are perfect together and she’s a special one because she sees how amazing of a man you are! I know it’s scary taking that step especially with how nasty your parents’ divorce was, but you are not them. You will be alright! Just ask her, but not at my wedding. That’s my day! You know I love you!_

_-Ashara_

Ned’s heart plummeted. Suddenly, he deeply regretted not telling her about their breakup three months ago. He should have told Ashara, but he thought they would have gotten back together by now. _Mady never called,_ Ned thought. _Not after the accident and she knows. She lives with Grace and she would have heard about it from her or Mark._

Ned threw down Ashara’s note, trying to bury his emotions. It was over between him and Mady and he needed to stop feeling like it mattered whether or not she called to make sure he was fine. His friends looked after him well enough and wasn’t he complaining about them hovering too much? Madyson calling would have just been . . .. Ned sighed and ran this hand through his hair. _It doesn’t matter—she didn’t call._ Ned stood in silence, willing himself not to think anymore until the coffee was finished brewing. 

The storm outside continued its muffled rage as the local news station displayed all the closings for White Harbor. It appeared like almost everywhere in the city was closed. The news anchors were desperately pleading for people to stay indoors and off the roads. Several of the local schools were acting as shelters and warming stations for citizens. Ned stared at the television with his coffee cup despite the pain the television light was causing his head. After being reminded about his failed relationship twice, Ned decided to focus his energy by dwelling on his failure to be able to do his job.

As coping went, Ned thought he was handling the situation very well and besides, it was time that he was allowed some self-flagellation that his friends had been preventing him from for the last few weeks. After almost two hours of Ned silently brooding over his incompetency and stupidity, Ned had forgotten that Catelyn Tully was asleep in the guest bedroom and she was not one for self-pitying idiots.

* * *

Catelyn gently woke up from a dreamless sleep. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was, but the unnatural sounds of the winter storm reminded her. She couldn’t say that was the most peaceful night’s sleep she’s had, but at least, she had slept with no nightmares about the conference. She pulled her blankets closer as the howling winds rattled the window. Ned had said that the window was wrapped and closed for the winter, but to her, it sounded like the winds were going to blast it open at any moment. It was an uncomfortable feeling living through her first blizzard in an unknown apartment, but the airport would have been worse. Here she had a warm bed, good food, and for the most part, she had pleasant company. 

Catelyn liked Ned. There was no sense in denying it. She had been initially disappointed, but ultimately, her first impression of him had been right; he was clearly different from his brother. He was calm, refreshingly honest, and slightly grumpy. There was something else about him, but she couldn’t figure it out. Perhaps, spending time alone with him today would help her uncover more about him and the many questions she had about him. 

After watching him and William interact for a couple of hours during lunch yesterday, she could tell Eddard was not comfortable with the attention. He was used to being the one to take care of others. Yet, despite it being transparent he did not like everyone being worried about him, there was an ease between William and Ned and their ability to fall in step with each other that had Catelyn wishing she could be a part of their world.

It wasn’t that Catelyn didn’t have friends, she did, but there was something unique about their friendship, camaraderie deeply rooted in time and bound by shared victories and traumas. They knew how to depend on each other and now, she could see how easily either one of them would have jumped at the chance to help a stranger. She was envious of them and the little group they had formed here. Catelyn had spent so long clinging to promise of a future with Jason and trying to keep up with the tumultuous world of Brandon, she had not always been the friend to Aimee and Beth and sister to Lysa as she should have been. 

Catelyn rolled over in the bed and pulled the pillow over her head, falling deeper into her thoughts. She hadn’t realized how much she invested in her relationships and cost of it. Both her relationships with Jason and Brandon had been on their terms. Brandon revealed only what he wanted her to know. Jason was different. He had pulled her completely into his life with no concern of what she might want out of hers. Jason’s life was full of the best and show of wealth. He had an incessant need to show off and prove that he was richest, most generous, and best to everyone. 

Over the years of their relationship, she had recent numerous lavish gifts from him. She always felt insecure about them, because she could never afford to give him anything close to what he gave her and sometimes, she wondered if they had strings attached. It was almost as if he was saying, “look at how I can provide for you and why waste your time with this silly career nonsense.” As much as Jason seemed to appreciate her mind, he preferred for it to be used to make him shine and demonstration his ability to find the perfect model of wife. 

Catelyn’s heart swelled with sadness thinking about Jason and realizations she had over the last three months. However, a small voice inside her head spoke. _Ned and William wouldn’t treat her like that. No, Ned wouldn’t._ She didn’t know how to feel about that particular truth. Jason and Brandon both had been assertive, competitive, and determined to prove their greatness. Ned and William were a team, working together, and supporting each other. It was refreshing to be around men who were comfortable with themselves instead of high-maintenance man-babies. She smiled. She knew both of them had found her attractive, but neither one of them acted on it or treated, well, as if she was human. 

It was strange for Catelyn because before her failed relationship with Jason, she would have never looked twice at men like William or Eddard. She probably would never have noticed them or their attraction to her. She would have seen them as nice guys, but since neither of them matched anything on her list, she would have dismissed them. _Well, William might have caught my eye, but not Ned. Never Ned._ She felt disgusted with herself at that particular truth. Her seventeen-year old self would never have noticed the way he looked at her hair or the way he studied her when he thought she wasn’t looking. _I wouldn’t have been looking. I wouldn’t of had any questions about him. I wouldn’t be worried about him liking me or being honest with me. I wouldn’t be bothered about not being able to read him or want to know what he thinking. Was he thinking about her? He has to be._ She was guest in his apartment and she had completely annoyed him last night. Catelyn smiled again at the memory. 

Before William had left, he had given her a list of do’s and don’ts about Ned. William and Ned had briefly talked in private after lunch. Catelyn was amused at how William seemed to treat Ned like a grumpy five years old who refused to nap, but she quickly learned that _Ned was a grumpy five years old who refused to nap._ It was barely an hour after William left that Eddard was up from his nap, attempting to “help” her or do something he should not be doing. At first, he wanted to help her with some laundry and getting her settled in. The laundry went well and Catelyn was happy to have clean underwear for the next few days, but unfortunately, that was only task he set out to complete that went well. 

After the success of the laundry, Ned discovered one of the shelves in his kitchen was broken. He removed all the dishes before attempting to take the shelf down to replace the broken shelf bracket. However, he lost his balance pulling the shelf out and crashed loudly onto the kitchen floor. He never cursed or yelped in pain. He only shrugged his shoulder and got up off the floor to try again, but Catelyn managed to reach the stepladder first and convinced him to let her switch out the broken shelf bracket while he handed the parts. 

Next, he decided he didn’t like way William had put away his groceries and had to rearrange his entire pantry. Catelyn had no idea why Ned didn’t like the arrangement of pantry, but she didn’t say anything, only watched him redo the pantry. Ned was trying very hard to stay focus on the pantry, but he was distracted easily and he was had trouble concentrating. After twenty minutes of him taking something out and placing it back in, he decided he was finished and the only difference Catelyn could tell was the applesauce packages had been switched places with the pudding packages. 

His afternoon misadventures finally came to end when he decided to go to his outside storage unit to get Catelyn more blankets, which resulted in him accidently having a box fall on top of his head because he forgot he had placed a smaller box on top of the extra blanket box. Thankfully, the box was not heavy, but it was the final straw for her. It was clear he was more than frustrated with his injury and he had overdone it that day. It was also clear to Catelyn that this was not his first or second concussion and this time he was not going to bounce back to his normal self the way he was accustomed to. 

After she had managed to get Ned to relax for a few minutes, Catelyn texted her mother about concussions. Catelyn could tell her mother was reluctant to say everything on her mind about Ned’s condition, but like Catelyn, her mom was worried about how long it was taking for him to recover from a concussion. She recommended making sure he took things slow and limit his physical activities, television, and computer usage like William’s list said to, but she also warned her that he need some stimulation to help heal. She also warned about potential mood changes and watch out for agitation, but he needed to discover his new boundaries and adapt. Her mother asked if Ned had suffered from a concussion before and Ned grudgingly admitted to sustaining one concussion in the army and two concussions during his teenage years. From then on, Catelyn questioned almost everything he did and forced him to take it easy while she made sandwiches for dinner. He gave her plenty of angry looks, but between the clear exhaustion on his face and childish grumpiness, Catelyn couldn’t take any of them seriously and had to suppress laughing at him. 

There was a break in the howling wind and Catelyn could hear television in the other room. Catelyn shook her head, thinking _he’s five!_ Ned was not supposed to be watching television, according to William’s list. It was one of his triggers for his symptoms. William’s warning floated back to her: “ _Watch him, he’s been caged up here far too long and his stubbornness can sometimes cross over to being reckless.”_ If yesterday was any indication, Ned was probably getting into some mischief. She turned to check the time on her phone. It was 8:21am. She wondered how long he had been awake and hoped he had not enough time to get into trouble. 

Catelyn pulled off the covers and got out of bed. She needed to check on him and make sure he wasn’t hurting himself. She pulled on the dreadful black sweatshirt. (She couldn’t deny that it was comfortable and warm, but she did not have to like it.) Catelyn walked over to the dresser and found her brush for her hair. Once she had brushed her hair, she appeared to be slightly more presentable or at least she was conformable enough to walk out of the room to check on Eddard. 

As Catelyn left the room, the comforting familiar smell of fresh coffee greeted her. He did know how to make a good cup of coffee. She wandered into the living room to find Ned sitting straight up on the couch watching the news. He was completely engrossed by the television, much like a small child. Catelyn sighed. _Five year old!_ Ned was watching the news about the storm. She wondered if he was worried about the blizzard or if there was something else going on. “Good morning,” she said. 

Ned jumped in surprised. “Uh, good morning.” He said as he stood up. “Did you sleep alright?” 

“Yes. Did you?”

“Well enough.” 

“How’s your head?”

“Hurts a little.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure the television isn’t helping.” Catelyn said, giving Ned a teasing smile. 

Once again, Catelyn had to stop herself from giggling as Ned shamefully looked down at his feet. She watched him shift uncomfortably on his feet, waiting for him to speak. Something was wrong. She took a step towards him. 

“What is it?” She asked. 

“I should be there helping them.” He confessed. 

Hearing the pain and guilt in his voice, Catelyn walked slowly towards him and lightly place her hand on his arm. She wished she knew what to say. Ned leaned into her touch. Catelyn wanted to embrace him, but she felt too self-conscious. “Don’t.” She whispered to him. “Don’t go there. You’re hurt and this is where you need to be.” Ned began to protest, but she cut him off. “Stop worrying. This isn’t helping anyone least of all you and I’m not going to spend my first blizzard listening to some guy wallow in self-pity, got it?”

Eddard smiled. “Got it.” 

They stayed close together with their eyes locked and for a brief moment, Catelyn thought he was going to say something else. As he studied her, she felt her cheeks burn. She wished desperately that she could read his thought, but his face nothing away or at least nothing Catelyn could figure out. There was something in his eyes, but she couldn’t quite place what it was. 

Just as Catelyn finally found the courage to ask what he was thinking, he moved away from her and walked towards the couch. Catelyn turned to stare at the news, knowing her face was turning a deeper red. She tried to change the subject. “It looks like the storm gotten worse.”

“Yeah,” Ned said from behind her. “They are predicting it is going to be one for the record books. The wind has been picking up. The snow is falling pretty fast.”

“I noticed. It’s colder.”

“I’ll turn the heat up. There is some coffee in the kitchen if you want some. I can make breakfast for us.” 

“That would be nice.” 

“I’m going to run to the restroom and fix the heat. I’ll be there in minute.”

“Okay.”

Catelyn waited until Ned was halfway down the hall before she turned away from the television. A wave of anxiety and tension washed over her. She wasn’t sure if she had made him feel better or what had just happened between them. Normally, Catelyn felt like she could read people easily, but Eddard was peculiar. _This whole situation is so weird and awkward,_ she thought. _Maybe that’s why can’t fully figure him out. Coffee. I need coffee._

Catelyn went into the kitchen to get some desperately needed coffee. The wind was louder in the small kitchen. She went over to the cabinet and pulled out a coffee mug. She noticed a letter and an invitation beside the coffee pot. It was a wedding invitation. She glanced over the note.

Unexpectedly, her heart sank—he had a girlfriend, a serious girlfriend. _Madyson. Engagement. A ring._ Catelyn did not approve. 

Ned hadn’t mentioned anyone and she thought he . . . well, it didn’t matter what she thought. There was someone else. _Good for him. I don’t understand how someone as awkward and shy as him got a girlfriend, let alone have a relationship serious enough for an engagement._ Catelyn paused at her harsh words. She didn’t mean it, did she? She bit her lip. _So, what if he had girlfriend who was almost a fiancé, what did it matter to her? He wasn’t anything special to her. He was just Ned—a good kind man with a girlfriend…._

Catelyn violently grabbed the coffee pot and attempted to pour the coffee into her mug. She splashed the coffee all over the mug, counter, and her hand. She silently cursed as felt the hot burning coffee on her hand. She quickly put the coffee pot down and went over to the sink to run cool water over her hand. Catelyn’s eyes filled with tears, but it wasn’t from the pain of the burn. 

Once again, she had thought a guy was a good man and it turned out she was wrong. She had been so certain that Eddard was different from Brandon, but he was Brandon Stark’s little brother. It explained why his mother got so upset on the phone. She was upset that there was another woman, someone who was not her son’s significant other. It would explain why William was upset about reveling Catelyn as a female. _Brandon’s little brother._ How could she be so stupid? He was Brandon’s brother and Robert’s best friend, of course, he wasn’t the faithful type and she was so certain he was different. She was so stupid about Brandon and Brandon’s little brother! 

_“What has he done to be unfaithful?”_ Asked a voice of reason in her head. _He’s doing a favor for your father, not you. Has he done anything to make you feel uncomfortable?_ Catelyn stared at the water. The pain in her hand was subsiding. She took a few deep breaths to clear her eyes before she answered the voice defiantly. _He’s still should have told me. He promised honesty._

Catelyn turned off the water and clean up the coffee mess she had made with some paper towels. She debated taking her coffee back to her room and leave Ned to his news. She could continue reading _The Shining_. At least, she knew Jack was a misogynistic pig. However, her promise to William to look after Ned floated into her mind. Catelyn lifted her head high and made her resolve. She knew how to keep her promises. Unlike Starks, Tullys kept their promises. 

* * *

A small headache was forming in the back of Eddard’s mind. He was beyond frustrated with his never-ending concussion. He never had a concussion last this long. Ned hated not being able to help his unit. His father had always taught him to “not look away,” but he was grateful when Catelyn had torn him away from the news. Ned could hear the news as he returned from the bathroom. He had turned up the heat on the way to his room and he could hear the heater kick on. Hopefully, it would be warmer for her. 

Catelyn was in the kitchen, staring out the window. She had her hand wrapped around a coffee mug, clutching it for warmth. She seemed upset. Ned dismissed it as concern about the storm. _She isn’t used to Northern snows, let alone blizzards. Don’t be an idiot and embarrass her. If she wants to talk about, she’ll talk about it. She proven that she will speak her mind._

“So, this is your first blizzard?” He asked. _I’m an idiot._

“What?” Catelyn said, her voice distant in thought. “Oh, the storm, yeah, it is. We have snowstorms back home, but nothing like this. They call for a state emergency when we get more than four inches or even the forecast of four inches of snow. I think the news just said they are expecting seventy-two inches?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re not worried?” 

“No.” He shrugged. _You need to be honest with me. Always._ Her words floated back into his mind. Honesty. “I mean,” she gave him a skeptical look as he began. “I’ve been through storms like this and worst. And I imagine there will be others in the future, but . . .” he stopped. He didn’t want to scare her. 

“But . . ..” 

“But I’ve always been home at Winterfell for them. And I don’t know. This isn’t home, you know? It’s different. I feel better if I was home.”

“Yeah, I get it. I would feel better if I was home too.” 

For some reason, her sentence stung. He wasn’t sure why, he had started it. He tried to make her feel comfortable and welcome: he had no right to be upset over her desire to be home when he had just said he wanted to be home too. They remained silent for a time with only the wind and television playing sounds. Ned felt a chill run down his spine. This storm was different—he knew that as a Stark. He was certain they were safe inside the apartment, but that didn’t mean the storm couldn’t present other problems. Ned pushed his fears aside, there was nothing he could do. They were prepared for anything the storm could throw at them. 

“Would you like some breakfast?” Ned asked. “I can make us some waffles.” 

“That would be nice.” 

Neither of them spoke as he prepared breakfast-waffles, bacon, and eggs. The wind screeched and ripped at the window in the kitchen. Ned couldn’t make anything out of the window, just a grey blur. He was glad he had turned up the temperature. 

“Thank you,” Catelyn said when Ned brought over her breakfast plate and silverware. He noticed she was nervous about the storm. He wished he knew something to say to her, anything to make her feel better. Yet, he could not think of anything, so he turned back to the kitchen to get his breakfast plate. 

Ned returned to the table with his plate and maple syrup and sat down. Catelyn was eating her bacon. Ned poured some syrup over his waffles before turning to eat his eggs before they got cold. He hated cold eggs. Catelyn picked the syrup bottle and studied it. 

“Mountain Clan’s Maple Syrup? Never heard of it.”

“Yeah, it’s the best.”

“The best? I think the Reach has everyone beat on the best syrup.” 

“Nah, we just keep the best stuff for ourselves. It’s not available outside the North.”

“Huh? Or the North doesn’t want anyone to know how delusional they are.” Catelyn teased. 

“Give it a try!” 

“Alright, I’ll try it, but don’t think for a second I’m impressed by the whole the North is the best mantra!” Catelyn joked. She gave a mischievous smile before pouring a modest amount of syrup on her waffles. Ned sat back in his chair to watch her take a bite. She cut a small piece of her waffle with syrup. Catelyn was shaking her head and chuckling as she took a bite. “It’s good.”

She admitted. 

“Good?”

“It’s really good. No lie.” She smiled. There was something elegantly simple about her. He watched as she took another bite. “Okay, I can admit it when I’m wrong. It’s better than the stuff from the Reach.”

“Thank you.” Ned said as he started to eat his waffle. 

They ate in awkward silence for a few minutes. Ned was not sure what to say, but he kept trying desperately to think about something to say. His mind was blank. Nothing seemed good enough to say to her and whatever he said had to be impressive. Finally, he said something. “So, how was the conference?” _Great. Not it. Dude, quit with the idiotic questions!_

Catelyn was in the middle of eating her eggs. She quickly finished her bite and said, “it was good. Intense.” She paused as if she was considering what she should say next. “It was my first conference and I’ve never presented one of my papers or been on a panel. It went well.” 

“Congratulations. What was the conference about?”

“Child Advocacy,” she answered. “It was intense especially reviewing some of the more disturbing cases like the Oldtown case.” 

“Yeah, my mom told me about the Oldtown. It was one of her earliest cases.”

“Your mom worked on the Oldtown case?”

“Yes, I think it was her third or fourth case for NCA about thirty years ago.”

“Wow, I didn’t know Mrs. Stark worked at the NCA. Brandon never mentioned it.” 

“No, Brandon wouldn’t considering . . . his interests.” Ned shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

“And, well, she’s not, uh . . . she never . . .. Um, her name isn’t Mrs. Stark. She never took the Stark last name. It was easier in the divorce, but Mama has always been a Flint.”

It took Catelyn a moment before she realized what Eddard was trying to say. Her eyes widen in shock. “Wait, did you say Flint as in _Lyarra Flint_? One of the founders of the National Child Advocacy Center?”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

Catelyn let out a chuckle of disbelief. “Her work in child advocacy has been . . . revolutionary. She’s completely changed how teachers, case workers, social workers, police, and well, everyone in the profession are trained in handling cases involving children. She’s responsible for helping get six different laws passed. Some of them are the most ground-breaking pieces of legislation in our country’s history! She is helping to develop ethical training for lawyers and judges on how they question children during trials. Every paper I’ve ever written for my degrees,

I’ve always cited her. She’s prolific in her research and writing—.”

“And she always managed to have dinner on the table by 7pm. Yeah, that’s my mom.” Ned interrupted. He was slightly uncomfortable talking about his mother’s work in the field of child advocacy. While he was proud of her, she was simply his mama to him. She deserved her legendary status, but somehow when anyone spoke about her, he always felt the need to protect her and make people understand she was there for her family. Her work was a major part of her life, but she never let it overshadow her children (or at least not since what happened in the Vale) and every time he spoke with someone about his mother’s work there always seemed to be the implication that she allowed for her work to become more important than her family, especially since most people knew about his parents’ messy divorce. 

* * *

Catelyn sat back in her chair, completely stunned. She was talking to her role model’s son. Heck, she had dated her idol’s son and never knew! _You would think she would have raised better men,_ a nasty voice said in her mind. 

Catelyn pushed the voice aside. There were a million questions she wanted to ask, just to know more about her. _How did your mother get involved child advocacy? How does she feel about the court case surrounding the Lannisport scandal? It must remind her of the Oldtown case. How does she feel about the new NAC training center potentially being built in Highgarden? What is her opinion on President Rhaella Targaryen’s aggressive new policy on child trafficking? Does she think it really goes far enough to help combat child sex trafficking on the coast? How does she feel about parts of the Young Victims and Protection Act being repelled?_

Catelyn tried to calm her brain down, but she just wanted to blurt out everything. _He’s a cop; he must have talked about some of these issues with his mother-how could he not when he has access to one of the most brilliant minds in the country?_

“I can’t believe that your mother is Lyarra Flint. I’ve got a million questions. Her work really has just been so incredible. Brandon never said anything and he knew I wanted to social worker. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me-we were together six months!” 

“Together? What do you mean together?” 

Catelyn was taken back by Ned’s shock over her relationship with Brandon. He’s focused on Brandon and she wants to learn as much as she can about Lyarra Flint! She already mentioned Brandon to him during the car ride from the airport. “Brandon and I dated for six months last year,” she said, wanting very much to get back to talking about Lyarra. 

Ned seemed completely bewildered and something else. She couldn’t read his eyes, but she could tell from the darkness in his grey eyes, it was not a positive emotion. _Was it resentment?_ _Frustration? No-bitterness?_ It took him a long time to respond, but she patiently waited for him to speak, not wanting to ruin her chances to talk about Lyarra’s work. 

“You were with Brandon, huh? I didn’t think you were his type.” 

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Catelyn snapped. Why did he want to discuss Brandon? Why wouldn’t Brandon want to date her? She wasn’t proud of her relationship with Brandon, but she certainly was good enough for him and she wasn’t about to let Eddard Stark make her feel bad about it. 

“Just that Brandon has a certain kind of relationship and you don’t seem like that would be what you would want. He likes his independence and space, but he also likes being the hero. You don’t seem like you need a hero. You’re self-reliant and I don’t know, but you seem to like would prefer, I don’t know, a consistent . . . _partner_? And Brandon doesn’t really believe in being reliable or monogamous?”

Catelyn felt the anger burn inside her. She felt like Ned was picking at the fact her relationship with Brandon was a total joke. She knew it was the truth and considering Brandon didn’t even mention who his mother was only made it worse. William’s words came back to her: _“Brandon isn’t one for monogamy.”_

Brandon didn’t care about her, not really, and now, Eddard is pointing it out. _Well, it’s not like he’s the boyfriend of the year! He didn’t even tell me he had a girlfriend and now, he wants to talk about monogamy!_

Catelyn anger and pain came spilling out. “So, what you think I need to be monogamous and you Stark men don’t? What sort of outdated sexism is this? I wonder how Madyson would feel about you lecturing me about monogamy.”

“What? Madyson?” Ned was bewildered. 

“Madyson-your girlfriend, almost fiancé? I saw the note. It’s right in front of the coffee pot.”

“Madyson and I broke up three months ago and we haven’t spoken since. I never told Ashara because I thought it was temporary, but apparently, not.” Ned said flatly. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m an ass.” Catelyn said. Her face was burning and she didn’t need a mirror to know that she had gone beet red. He had picked at the Brandon wound and she attacked without thinking. 

_Gods,_ she thought, _he probably didn’t even say anything bad. Just was being honest._

Catelyn wanted nothing more than to slip back into her room and spend the rest of storm hiding under the bed, away from him. She could not remember the last time she was this humiliated. 

_Why do I let the stuff surrounding Brandon get to me so much? Why do I have to be so stupid about him? Why did I ever think he would make the pain of Jason go away?_

Catelyn could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes. She quickly turned her head away from Ned, so he wouldn’t see a few of them escape. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to regain her composure to give herself enough time to be excused and make it back to her room before she completely broken down. 

Catelyn heard Ned get up from the table with his finished plate. She wasn’t ready to face him and she did not want to know what he was thinking. Ned turned on the water to the kitchen sink to begin cleaning the dishes. 

The wind gave another monstrous roar and there was muffled crack outside. Suddenly, the lights, the heater, and television all stopped at once. Catelyn turned her head around to face Ned. He looked at her with an expression of unease. Her feelings of humiliation and sorrow were replaced with the feeling of dread and panic. The power had gone out. The temperature had dipped below zero. The snow was too high now to leave for one of the shelters. Catelyn felt a panic rush through her as she and Ned were now facing the worse of the storm with no power and an eerie quiet that was only broken by whistling wind of the storm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and sticking with the story! I'll continue to look for grammar mistakes and fix them when I see them. (I've been staring at this chapter for about three weeks, so once again, I probably missed some mistakes!)
> 
> Let me know what you think and please if there is something you would like to see or have addressed in the upcoming chapters, please let me know! 
> 
> Thank you again for reading!!!


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